What You Already Know Pt 7: Resolutions: Ship Ver
by MaureenT
Summary: Earth and its allies face dangers from two powerful enemies as both Anubis and the Replicators make plans that could ultimately destroy life in the galaxy as we know it. Will the power to stop them be found in time? S&D, J&J. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**What You Already Know Part 7: Resolutions (Ship Version)**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Rating:** T  
**Categories:** Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance  
**Content Warning:** Mild Profanity, Violence, Adult Themes, Sexual Content  
**Spoilers:** Most of Season 8, plus some episodes from previous seasons, particularly the Season 6 episode, Unnatural Selection.

**Author's Notes:** **This story contains a Daniel/Sam romance.** There is also a Gen version for those of you who don't want to read S/D Ship. This is the final story in a 7-part AU series covering many of the events of the latter half of the 7th season and the 8th season. **It is strongly recommended that you read the previous fanfics in this series first.**

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**Introduction  
(Or How I Almost Lost My Sanity Trying to Figure out the Timeline for this Story)**

Fact: At least several days must have passed between Lost City and New Order, enough time for all those countries to argue about the Ancient outpost so long that the talks had stalled more than once. And Teal'c had to have enough time to grow that hair. 

Fact: The events of New Order happened over a period of around 10 days.

Fact: In Rising, the pilot episode of Atlantis, it was stated that Dr. Weir had been choosing people for the expedition to Atlantis for months.

Fact: At least 7 days passed during the events of Lockdown, probably more. That's not counting the opening scene, which had happened a month previously and must have occurred shortly after Anubis' fleet was destroyed. (See below.)

Fact: More than a month passed from the end of Lost City to when Anubis, in the body of Colonel Vaselov, came to the SGC.

Fact: Zero Hour happened over the course of 6 days.

Fact: The events of Icon happened over a period of 3 months.

Fact: At least 18 days passed during the course of Affinity.

Fact: In Covenant, it was stated that it had been about 5 months since the battle with Anubis in Lost City.

Conclusion: The writers for Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis pay no attention to their timeline of events.

Do the math. It is impossible that "months", (as in two or more) passed between New Order and Rising (which was aired between New Order and Lockdown), yet only five months passed between Lost City and Covenant. Even if Rising happened after Lockdown--which makes more sense given that scene between Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c near the beginning of the episode--it won't work. Heck, even if Weir started choosing personnel for the expedition right after the events of Lost City, _before_ New Order, it still won't fit. I know. I spent hours trying to work out a timeline, only to have it shattered when I read the transcript for Rising and saw that remark from Dr. Weir about her planning the expedition for months.

Therefore, since the canon timeline is impossible, I'm going to ignore it. Actually, all I'm going to do is ignore that remark from Weir and place the events of Rising after Lockdown instead of before. As far as I'm concerned, Weir was suffering from sleep depravation or something and accidentally said "months" instead of "weeks", and everyone else was too polite to correct her. Okay, so it's a stretch to believe that McKay wouldn't correct her, but I'm sticking to that explanation. I know that it wouldn't really be possible for all the planning that went into the Atlantis expedition to take only a few weeks, especially searching for and finding people with the Ancient gene, but I'm going to pretend it was possible. If the writers for the two TV series' can somehow pack seven or more months worth of events into a five-month period, I can have my little illusion. bg

* * *

CHAPTER ONE 

One thing that everyone at the SGC learned sooner or later was that, when you're dealing with aliens, off-world adventures and keeping the planet safe from various extraterrestrial threats, things seldom go according to plan. This was now being proven yet again. 

With all the stuff that had happened over the past two weeks--being bothered by the NID again, finding out that some unknown Goa'uld was pushing his weight around, thwarting a presidential assassination and getting shot in the process, and bringing down a huge organization that had been planning on wiping out the Jaffa race in order to destroy the Goa'uld--Daniel had planned on doing nothing for the next few days except digging into the ever growing pile of translations threatening to bury his desk beyond all hope of excavation. The moment he heard SG-1 being called to the briefing room, he knew his plans were doomed. The last thing he expected to see when he got there, however, was Thor. 

"Greetings, Doctor Jackson," the Asgard said. He greeted Jack, Sam and Teal'c when they arrived a few seconds later. 

"Thor, buddy. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Jack asked. 

"I fear that I have serious news. You are aware that the time dilation field that the Replicators were trapped within was only temporary." 

"Yes, you thought it would take Fifth around two years to reach the controls to turn it off," Sam said. 

"Yes. I had been monitoring the situation there for some time now. It was decided by the council that we would eliminate the Replicators by causing the sun of the planet they were on to collapse." 

Sam stared at him in shock. "Wait a minute. You planned on creating a black hole?" 

"Yes, which we succeeded in doing." 

"You made a black hole? That's even more impressive than blowing up a sun," Jack said. He turned to Sam. "Carter, for your next impossible act, you should do that, too. It'll look great on your résumé." 

Sam ignored the remark. "But Hala's sun wasn't nearly massive enough to collapse into a black hole," she pointed out to Thor. "How did you do it?" 

"We artificially increased its gravitational field." 

"Wow. That's . . . pretty cool." 

"So, what happened?" Daniel asked. "I'm guessing that things didn't work out as planned." 

"Unfortunately not. The Replicators came together in a coherent mass that I discovered was a spacecraft. I do not know exactly how, but they succeeded in escaping the gravity well of the black hole by using the time dilation device. I managed to escape before the ship attacked, but the Replicators are now free. We are concerned that they will eventually find the Asgard's new homeworld, Orilla." 

"How can we help?" Jack asked. 

"I am aware of the events that occurred with Doctor Jackson and the Ancient Library of Knowledge. At the time that you requested my aid, time-space distortions caused by the black hole were interfering with my ship's long-range communications, so I was unaware of your need for assistance. I am pleased that you did not need my help after all and that Doctor Jackson is well." 

"Yeah, he managed to fix things all on his own, put himself in some kind of freaky suspended animation and stuffed all the Ancients' gunk back into his subconscious." 

"Interesting," Thor said. "Perhaps, someday, I can study this at length." He turned to Daniel. "It is because of the knowledge of the Ancients that I am here. That knowledge would still be within your mind, though you can no longer consciously remember it." 

"I know," Daniel confirmed. "I do remember some of it, but only bits and pieces. Like Jack said, I had to force most of it into my subconscious." 

"I am hoping that within that knowledge is a means to destroy the Replicators." 

"Whoa there, Thor," Jack said. "Now, I'm all for helping you guys out, but if you go digging around inside Daniel's head, you're liable to make all that stuff come pouring back into his brain like before. It almost killed him last time." 

"I am aware of the danger, O'Neill. If the knowledge yet again begins to overwhelm his mind, I will remove it as we did with you. I would not ask this if I did not believe it is the only way that we can defeat the Replicators." 

Daniel gave a small nod. "Then I guess we'd better get to it." 

Jack frowned at him. "Daniel." 

"Jack, you heard him. If he has to, he'll remove the stuff from my brain. I won't be in any danger. I have to try to help them." 

The colonel sighed. "I know, Daniel." 

"Thank you, Doctor Jackson," Thor said. "If we succeed, the Asgard will owe you a great debt of gratitude." He looked at everyone. "We must leave immediately. Every moment that we delay may bring the Replicators closer to finding Orilla." 

"Okay," Jack said, "just let us get our wea. . . ." 

SG-1 suddenly found themselves onboard Thor's ship. 

". . . pons," Jack finished. He looked at the Asgard. "Has anyone ever told you that it's rude to beam people away when they're in the middle of talking?" 

"My apologies, O'Neill." 

"If we're going against Replicators, we need our weapons," Sam told Thor. 

There was the flash of an Asgard beam, and a pile of P-90's, handguns, shotguns and ammo appeared on the floor a few feet away. 

"Ya gotta love those Asgard beams," Jack said, getting busy on loading his weapons of choice, the rest of SG-1 doing likewise. 

Thor entered hyperspace, aiming the ship toward the home galaxy of the Asgard. 

"How do you intend to access the knowledge inside Daniel's subconscious?" Sam asked. 

"I will merge his mind with the ship's computer." 

Daniel blinked. "W-what? Uh . . . how?" 

"The process of interfacing your mind with the computer will be complex, but I assure you that it will do you no harm. Once the process is complete, I am hoping that you will be able to safely access the information we need." 

"Okay, let me get this straight. You're going to merge Daniel Jackson with the Daniel Jackson?" Jack asked. "There's _gotta_ be a joke in there somewhere. Not thinking of one right now, but it'll come to me." 

"That's what I'm afraid of," Daniel muttered. 

"Maybe this is a dumb question, but why can't you just extract all the knowledge into the ship's computer and do a search for what you need?" Sam asked. 

Thor looked at her. "You cannot even begin to comprehend the extent of what is within Doctor Jackson's mind. Our scientists, long ago, extracted parts of the Ancient Library of Knowledge and learned much from it. But we have been studying it for as long as I can remember, and we have barely scratched the surface." 

"You wouldn't know where to look for the information you need," Daniel guessed. "It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack." 

"A haystack of infinite size." 

"That's big," Jack remarked. 

"I am hoping Doctor Jackson's conscious mind can provide us with a direct conduit to the information we need." A low table was beamed onto the bridge. "Please lie upon the table, Doctor Jackson." 

Feeling a little nervous, Daniel did as he was told. The others watched as, a moment later, he appeared to lose consciousness. Several seconds passed, then they heard a familiar voice coming from some kind of speaker system. 

"Uh . . . hello? Can anyone hear me?" asked Daniel's voice. 

"We hear you loudly and clearly, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied. 

"Are you okay?" Sam asked. 

"Yeah, it's just weird." 

"All the information in the ship's computer is available to you," Thor told the disembodied archeologist. 

There was a brief pause. "Wow, this is interesting," Daniel said. "It's a good thing Jack didn't do this. He'd want to play in here." 

"Would not," Jack said. 

"Would to." 

"Not." 

"Yes, you would." 

"Uh uh." 

"O'Neill, Doctor Jackson," Thor interrupted. 

"Sorry," Daniel apologized. 

"If you wish, you may appear to us as a hologram." 

A moment later, a hologram of Daniel appeared. He waved at his teammates. "Hi, guys. I almost feel like I'm ascended again." 

"Are you able to access knowledge that will help us with the Replicators?" Thor asked. 

"Um . . . yes, I think so. It might take a little while, though. I'll be back." Daniel's hologram disappeared. 

"Now what?" Jack asked. 

"Now, we must wait," the Asgard answered. 

"I hate waiting." 

It turned out that they didn't have to wait for long. A short while later, an image of some sort of device appeared on the viewscreen. 

"What is it?" Teal'c asked. 

"I am unsure," Thor replied. "It seems that Doctor Jackson's mind is building something, virtually, in conjunction with the ship's computer." 

"Maybe it's a weapon of some kind," Sam suggested. 

Less than a minute later, the hologram of Daniel reappeared. "Hi again." He walked up to the others. 

"Can you tell us what this is?" Sam asked. 

"Sort of. It's--" 

Daniel was interrupted by an alarm. Thor looked at his control console. 

"It is a distress call. The Replicator ship is attacking one of ours." 

"Can you help them?" Jack asked. 

"It is doubtful my ship's weapons will be effective against the Replicators, but I must try." 

"Um . . . Thor, I hate to interrupt, but I think this might be a good time for you to disconnect me from the computer," Daniel said. 

"Yes, of course." 

The hologram vanished. A moment later, Daniel's eyes blinked open. His teammates went over to him. 

"Are you all right?" Sam asked him. 

"I think so." Daniel sat up with Jack's help. "That was an interesting experience." 

Jack studied him closely. "Are you sure you're okay? That Ancients' stuff isn't all coming back into your head, is it?" 

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see." 

At that moment, the ship came out of hyperspace. Thor opened fire upon the Replicator ship, but it had no effect. 

"The ship is turning around," Thor announced. "I believe it intends to attack us." 

"_That's_ not good," Jack said. 

"They have fired upon us." 

"Can it penetrate your shields?" Sam asked. 

"It is more than likely," the Asgard answered. "Brace for impact." 

The members of SG-1 grabbed hold of whatever was available. Moments later, the ship shuddered as something impacted upon it. 

"The hull has been breached," Thor said. 

"Where?" Sam asked him. 

A floor plan of the ship's interior came up on the viewscreen. 

"The damage is minimal," Thor said. "The projectile was likely composed of Replicators. They are not visible to my ship's scanners. This is how they have boarded Asgard ships in the past." 

"Can you use the shields to prevent decompression in those sections?" 

"Yes." 

SG-1 armed themselves and headed to the area of the ship where the Replicators had infiltrated. As soon as they got there, they could hear the sounds of the spider-like machines inside the walls. 

"Stay sharp," Jack warned. He really, really hated these things. 

Daniel kept looking around, tense and alert on all levels. His sixth sense was screaming at him, warning him of danger. 

The archeologist sensed rather than heard a Replicator coming up behind them. As he turned around to fire, he saw Sam get beamed away. 

"Sam!" he yelled. He blasted the Replicator. "Thor! Sam was just beamed away. Did you do it?" 

"I did not, Doctor Jackson. The Replicators must have her." 

Suddenly, a bunch of the creatures attacked. As Jack and Teal'c opened fire on them, Daniel unleashed his anger and fear upon the machines that had taken Sam. The Replicators exploded, ripped apart by the fury of the attack. Still more came and were instantly obliterated. Daniel opened his senses and sought out the ones still in the walls, destroying them. Within minutes, every one that they could find was no more. 

Daniel turned and ran back to the bridge, Jack and Teal'c in his wake. 

"We have to stop the ship!" he cried. Even as he said it, the Replicator ship jumped into hyperspace. 

Thor looked at him. "I am sorry, Doctor Jackson. I could not stop them." 

"Why did they take her?" Daniel asked, afraid of what the Replicators intended to do to her. 

"I do not know." 

"We'll get her back, Daniel," Jack assured the archeologist. 

"I will follow the ship," Thor told them, taking his ship into hyperspace. 

"Do you know its destination?" Teal'c asked. 

"The commander of the other ship warned me that the Replicators learned the location of Orilla from his ship's computer. It will likely be their first target." 

"How come? Because your people are there?" Jack asked. 

"No. Orilla is rich in Neutronium, which is a key element in Asgard technology. It is also essential for the creation of human-form Replicators." 

"Definitely not good." 

"No, it is not, O'Neill." 

Daniel had a horrible thought. "What about the Replicators that got onboard this ship? Did they get into your computer? If they did, they'll have the plans to that thing I created and any other Ancient knowledge you got from me." 

"I anticipated that this might occur, so I purged the information retrieved from your mind from the computer before we engaged the Replicator ship in battle." 

"And that thing Daniel made?" Jack asked. 

"I scattered the data throughout different computer systems, including several that the Replicators would have no interest in and should not have infiltrated. I will have to create a program to recompile the data." 

"I just hope it's going to help," Daniel said.

* * *

Sam studied the room she was in. It was made of Replicator blocks, which told her that she was on the Replicator ship. She didn't know why she had been brought there. She walked up to one of the walls and touched it. She was startled when something began to form where she touched the wall. In horror, she watched a frighteningly familiar figure emerge. 

"Major Carter," said the human-form Replicator named Fifth. 

"Fifth." Scared, Sam began backing away from him as he slowly advanced upon her. She now had a terrible feeling that she knew why she had been taken. 

"I imagine you never expected to see me again." 

"Look, I'm sorry we left you behind, but we had to do it. We couldn't risk the others getting out. You know what they're capable of. I know you must be upset." 

"Upset," Fifth repeated, his tone and expression telling Sam that the word didn't even come close to describing his feelings. She kept backing up as Fifth walked toward her. 

"We betrayed you. It must have hurt," she said, trying desperately to reach the gentle, caring part of him that she'd seen on Hala. "See, that's the part of you that's most like us. The human part of you." Finding herself backed up against the wall, there was no place left for Sam to go. "I understand how you feel." 

"No, you don't!" Fifth snapped. "You couldn't. But I promise, you will." 

Fifth reached his hand toward Sam's head. She grabbed his arm, trying to stop him, but it was useless. She felt his fingers touch her forehead. And then he was in her mind, and there was pain.

* * *

Terrified about what was happening to Sam, Daniel had been attempting to find her, just as he had when she was stranded on the Prometheus. He didn't know what the Replicators were planning on doing to her, but his sixth sense was telling him that she was in great danger. He knew without doubt that this was what his dream had been warning him of, a warning that had failed to give him the power to stop it from happening. 

He was just beginning to feel like he was close to finding her when agonizing pain lanced through his brain. He cried out, clutching his head.

Jack and Teal'c hurried up to him. The colonel grasped the archeologist's shoulders. 

"Is the Ancients' knowledge returning, Daniel Jackson?" the Jaffa asked. 

"No," Daniel gasped. "God, it's Sam. They're hurting her!" 

Jack's hold on Daniel shoulders tightened. "Daniel, listen to me. Can you block out the pain? You need to get control." 

With an effort, Daniel pushed back the pain in his mind. It faded, though it did not disappear. 

Daniel straightened. "I'm okay." He paused. "No, I'm not. I won't be until we get Sam back." He met Jack's eyes. "We have to find her, Jack." 

"We will." 

"I fear that is not the case," Thor stated. 

Daniel looked over at the Asgard. "What do you mean?" 

"My ship's weapons will not function in hyperspace, much like the shields, so I will be unable to fire upon the Replicator ship once we catch up to it. However, in close proximity, the self-destruct may be sufficient to eliminate both ships. I am sorry, but we have no choice. If the human-form Replicators reach Orilla, they will have the resources to replicate many thousands of times. We cannot allow that to happen." 

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other. 

"Well, it's not the first time that I believed I'd be going down with the ship," Jack said. He gazed at his teammates. His own death didn't frighten him, but it saddened him that his teammates were going to die as well. 

Daniel's eyes had gone to the window, and Jack knew that he was thinking about Sam. It seemed so unfair to Jack that the couple had so little time together, but at least they'd had those few weeks. It was more than many people got.

* * *

Beneath the pain searing Sam's brain, she felt Fifth boring into her memories, brutally raping her mind. In many ways, it was worse than the physical pain. Images flashed by with dizzying speed, scenes of her life, many of them deeply private. She was helpless to stop it, powerless to prevent Fifth from violating her like this. 

As last, it stopped as Fifth withdrew his hand. Now on the floor, Sam clutched her head. 

"Why are you doing this?" she cried. 

"You think you deserve better?" 

"You can see my thoughts. You know I didn't want to do it." 

Fifth turned and walked away a couple of paces. "I suppose, in a way, I should thank you. It was because of what you did to me that I came to realize my full potential." He turned back around to look at her. "I am more human than the others. At first, I thought it was weakness, but now I see it makes me capable of so much more." 

"Fifth, please," Sam gasped. 

"My brothers and sisters will devour entire civilizations in order to replicate, but they will know nothing of cruelty . . . or betrayal . . . or revenge. Not like us. Isn't that right . . ." He stepped toward Sam again, "Major Carter." 

"No. No," she begged. 

Ignoring her plea, Fifth again tore into her mind. 

_'Daniel!'_ Sam mentally screamed.

* * *

Daniel gasped as Sam's pain returned after only a brief respite. He sensed her cry out to him for help, and it was killing him that he could do nothing. 

_'It'll be over soon, Sam,'_ he whispered to her in his mind, _'for both of us. No more pain.' _

Blinking away his tears, Daniel turned to the others. 

"Daniel?" Jack inquired, asking with that one word if he was okay. 

"I'm all right, Jack." He managed a small, sad smile. "It's been an incredible seven years, hasn't it?" 

"Yes, it has." 

"It has been a great honor to fight at your sides," Teal'c stated somberly. 

Jack looked at him gravely. "Same here, Teal'c." He turned back to Daniel. "I really wanted to see you get that medal, though." 

The archeologist shrugged. "It's not like I really wanted the thing anyway. They'll probably give it to me posthumously." 

"You bet they will." 

"We are almost within range," Thor announced. 

The three men came up to the control console and saw that they were quickly approaching the Replicator ship. 

"Now," said the Asgard. Even as he spoke the word, all the lights dimmed then brightened. The three members of SG-1 looked at Thor, who was searching for the problem. On the viewscreen, the Replicator ship began pulling away from them. 

"We are slowing down," Thor said. "Something is interfering with the controls." 

The floor plan of the Daniel Jackson appeared on the viewscreen. One section was flashing a warning. 

"The auxiliary control console, outside the engine room." 

Teal'c grabbed his weapon, but Daniel stopped him, his face hard. 

"I'll get it," he said in a matching tone of voice. He strode off, neither one of his teammates considering stopping him. 

Wishing he could reach out and destroy every Replicator in the galaxy, Daniel hurried down the corridors to the auxiliary control console. When he got there, he saw a single Replicator sitting on the console. He ripped it to pieces with his mind. 

"I got it," he said into the radio, sensing that there were no more of the things. 

"Unfortunately, the Replicators are now beyond our reach," Thor told him. "We are too late to stop them from reaching the new Asgard homeworld."

* * *

And so begins the 7th and final story of this series. This one will cover almost all of Season 8. I hope you enjoy it.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Daniel returned to the bridge and walked up to the others.

"I have managed to send advance warning to Orilla," Thor said. "By providing them with the Replicator ship's course and speed, they should have a fair approximation of where it will drop out of hyperspace. What ships we have available will be waiting in ambush."

"Ambush?" Daniel repeated, his stomach clenching.

"When the ship exits hyperspace, they will be defenseless for a few moments. If the Asgard ships are able to fire upon it before it raises its shields, their combined firepower should be able to destroy it."

"But what about Sam?"

Thor gazed at him in sympathy. "I am sorry, Doctor Jackson. There is nothing else we can do."

Daniel turned and walked away. When he believed that he and Sam were both going to die, it was bad enough, but he had known that he would rather die with her than live without her. But, now, she was going to die alone, alone out there in the cold of space. He was never going to see her again, touch her again.

_'Oh, God. This can't be happening.' _

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Sam cried out in pain. Fifth withdrew from her mind, and she collapsed to the floor.

"Stop it, please!" she sobbed, grabbing her head as she wept.

"Why should I?" Fifth asked heartlessly.

"You can't change what happened. Is this making you feel better?" Sam managed to sit up. "I never intended to abandon you."

"But you did. You gained my trust, then you used me and left me behind."

"It wasn't my decision." _'Please, Fifth, please understand,'_ Sam begged silently.

"You could have come back for me," Fifth whispered.

"There was no time!"

"Time!" Fifth spat. "Thanks to what you did, I had plenty of time . . . to think about what a fool I was."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what we did to you."

"Yes." Fifth squatted before her. "You are now."

"Part of being human is having compassion, learning to forgive," Sam told him, praying that, somehow, she'd get through to the human part of Fifth that still possessed some shred of compassion.

"Yes. I'm not there yet. I need more time."

As Fifth moved his hand toward her face, Sam flinched away, sobbing deeply. Fifth stopped and stared at her. He felt something stir inside him, something that banished the hatred within. He reached out and ran his fingers through Sam's hair, gently cupping her head as she continued to cry brokenly. The desire to hurt her, to make her pay for her betrayal, disappeared, replaced by another desire.

With a small smile, Fifth decided what he was going to do. He would make her love him . . . just as he loved her.

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Jack, Teal'c and Thor were standing at the control console. Daniel was against the wall several feet away. Sensing his need for space, his teammates had not approached him.

The image of an Asgard came onto the viewscreen.

"Commander Thor, this is Aegir of the Valhalla. We have assumed defensive positions and are awaiting the target ship."

"Understood," Thor responded.

Moments later, the Replicator ship exited hyperspace over the planet. The Asgard ships immediately opened fire upon it. Within seconds, it was destroyed.

"The enemy ship has been destroyed," Aegir announced.

Thor looked at the rest of SG-1. "I am sorry."

Pain bore down upon Daniel, crushing him with its unbearable weight. He slid down the wall into a heap, chest heaving with sobs that were fighting to get out. But he couldn't let them out. He had to hold it together, stay in control. He had to. . . . _'Oh God.' _

Seconds later, Jack was there. He pulled Daniel into his arms, feeling the shaking of his friend's body. "Let it out, Daniel. Just let it out. I've got you."

The words broke Daniel's fragile control, and he crumpled. Sobs welled out of him, pulled from the shattered depths of his soul. Jack gathered him close, his own heart crying over the loss of Sam and the terrible anguish of the man in his arms.

Lost in grief, Daniel did not feel Jack slowly rocking him back and forth. He did not hear an Asgard named Penegal announce that the debris from the destroyed Replicator ship could not be contained and had rained down on Orilla. It did not impact upon his mind that the Replicators had already begun replicating and infesting the Asgards' systems. All he knew was that Sam was gone. He felt like he was dying inside.

"She's gone, Jack," he said brokenly.

Jack's eyes closed tightly at the heartbreaking sound of his best friend's voice.

Daniel's breath caught on a sob. "I loved her so much."

Jack's heart cracked open at those words. Tears filled his eyes. He pulled Daniel's head down onto his shoulder, laying his cheek against the short brown hair. "I know, Danny," he whispered in a voice rough with pain. "I know."

Teal'c looked over at the two figures against the wall. His heart ached, not only for the loss of a friend, but also for the anguish that another friend was now suffering. In all the years he had known Daniel Jackson, he had never seen the archeologist so devastated, not even when his wife died. Daniel had held the pain of Sha're's death deep inside, showing only a small portion of it to his friends. But, this time, there was no holding it back, and it tore Teal'c apart to see the strong man that Daniel Jackson was so terribly broken.

The Jaffa turned back to Thor. "Should you not consider evacuating your people?" he asked.

"That is no longer possible," Penegal replied on the viewscreen.

"There are too many," Thor explained. "We carried numerous stored minds aboard the computers of our ships when we fled our homeworld. When Orilla was finally found, we were able to place those minds into cloned bodies so that we could build our new colony."

"The Replicators have already infected systems needed to save those minds," Penegal said. "If we lose this battle, they will perish, along with their bodies, taking with them the hopes of the Asgard race."

Thor gazed at Teal'c. "Orilla is the last chance of ever rebuilding our empire."

"Then we must fight to save it."

"I must examine the device Doctor Jackson created. But, first, I must recompile the data."

It took several minutes for Thor to collect and compile the scattered bits of data, some of which was damaged by the Replicator attack and had to be repaired.

"I have succeeded in gathering the data. I believe I can synthesis the device now."

A prototype of the thing Daniel had created in the computer appeared on a nearby stand.

"Do you know yet what it is?" Teal'c asked.

"No. I am not familiar with the design, though I am assuming it is a weapon."

"It is," said a low voice behind them.

Teal'c and Thor turned to see Daniel standing a few feet away. His face was marred with the tracks of tears, his eyes reddened and dark with pain, but there was also a hard look of determination on his face.

"I share your sorrow at the death of Major Carter, Doctor Jackson," Thor said. "If there had been any way to save her, I would have done so."

Daniel swallowed tightly. "I know." He walked up to the weapon he had created. When he made it, it had been to help the Asgard. Now, it was the thing that would enable him to avenge the death of the woman he loved. He would not stop until every Replicator in the universe was gone.

They dropped out of hyperspace near Orilla. Several other Asgard ships were there, none of which could dare land because of the Replicators that were quickly decimating the Asgard civilization below.

The image of Penegal came onto the viewscreen. He gave Thor a brief update on the situation. "I do not know how much longer our communications system will be functioning. There are things you should know. The Replicators infesting the colony are behaving in an organized fashion, unlike any we have encountered before."

Thor was disturbed by the news. "Perhaps they are being controlled by a human-form leader who has yet to reveal itself."

A sharp gasp from Daniel drew the attention of the others to him. His eyes were staring off at nothing, distant and unfocused.

"She's alive," he whispered.

"What?" Jack said.

Daniel turned to him, eyes blazing with joy. "She's alive, Jack! Sam's alive!"

Hope blossomed within the colonel's heart. "Are you sure, Daniel?"

"Yes! I can feel her, Jack. She's on the planet somewhere."

"Yes!" Jack clapped Daniel on the back, grinning.

"We have to find her," Daniel said.

"We will, Daniel. I swear it."

--------------------------------------------------

Sam's eyes slowly opened. She squinted against the bright sunlight that was shining in her eyes. Turning away from the light, Sam saw that she was in a tent. The air was hot, though not unbearably so. Sitting up, Sam looked over at the tent flap, which was open a slit, sunlight pouring in.

Confused and leery, Sam got up and walked to the opening, peeking out. Seeing no one, she stepped out of the tent, looking around. There were several other tents and piles of crates here and there. Off in the distance, she saw what looked like Ancient Egyptian ruins. A few yards away, Daniel was hunched over a table, examining some artifacts.

Sam walked up to the archeologist. He saw her and smiled.

"Hey, Sam. I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day." He grinned. "But, considering that we didn't get much sleep last night, I guess I can understand you wanting to sleep in."

Sam stared at him, frowning. "Daniel?"

The archeologist's smile faded. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, everything."

"What do you mean?"

"This, all of it. What are we doing here? Where the hell _is_ here?"

"Uh . . . it's Egypt, Sam, remember? I know we both drank quite a bit of wine last night, but I didn't think you drank _that_ much."

"No, Daniel. It's not a hangover. I don't. . . ."

"Don't what?"

"Think this is real." Sam shook her head. "This isn't happening. The last thing I remember, I was onboard a Replicator ship. This is just another way of screwing with my mind."

Daniel stepped forward and took her hands. "Sam, look. A year ago, you left the Stargate Program because of mental stress. We all had a really bad year, but it was worse for you. I resigned and took a teaching position at UCLA. We're here with a bunch of archeology students, who, at the moment, are off having a weekend of fun in Luxor. Before we came here, you were seeing a psychologist because you can't seem to shake the nightmares. You've just had a bad one. That's all." Daniel gave her a long kiss. When he drew back, he was smiling. "Did that feel real?" he asked.

"Yes," Sam admitted.

"Well, there you go. So, are you hungry? I can fix you a late breakfast."

Sam stared at him for several seconds before saying, "I am kind of hungry."

"Well, come on, then. I'll whip something up for you."

Sam followed him, beginning to wonder if she was losing her mind.

--------------------------------------------------

Jack turned to Thor. "If one of the human Replicators survived, that could explain how Carter is alive. One of those guys got off the ship with her before you blew it up."

"Can you scan the planet for life signs?" Daniel asked.

"We already have. There are none," Penegal told them.

"Then she must be shielded from your scanners," Daniel stated firmly, "because I _know_ she's alive."

"We believe you, Daniel," Jack assured him.

"It is possible that the human-form Replicator is hiding her from our sensors," Thor said. He, too, did not doubt Daniel, knowing that the archeologist's highly advanced paranormal abilities enabled him to sense things that Asgard sensors could not.

"Were you able to procure a means of fighting the Replicators?" Penegal asked.

"Yes, but it still requires more research," Thor replied.

"I hope that you will have the answer soon," Penegal said gravely. His image disappeared.

Thor turned his attention back to the weapon Daniel had created. "What can you tell me about how it functions?" he asked Daniel.

"Nothing technical. All I know is that it somehow makes it impossible for each Replicator block--or whatever they're called--to communicate with the others."

"Which would render each one inert," Thor said. "We explored such a technology in the past with no success. If you are correct, this will be an extremely effective means of destroying the Replicators."

The Asgard ran some scans on the device. "The technology is quite impressive and very advanced."

"Will you be able to duplicate it?" Daniel asked.

"I can synthesize more of the weapons, but their effectiveness would be extremely limited since one would have to be in close proximity to a Replicator to destroy it."

"Well, can't you make a bigger one or something? You know, one that would zap all the bugs on a planet at once." Jack asked.

"Such a weapon would require a great deal of modifications, something I could not accomplish without a greater understanding of this device. It is likely that I will be able to do it, but I fear it may take more time than we have."

As the Asgard got busy on the project, Daniel wandered away to the window. He gazed down at the planet below. Somewhere down there was Sam. She was angry, confused and a little frightened. But she was no longer in pain. He wished that he could talk to her, let her know that they were near and were going to find her.

Daniel sensed Jack come up behind him.

"How are you doing?" the colonel asked.

"Okay. A hell of a lot better than I was a while ago. Just knowing that she's alive. . . ."

"Yeah."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry I fell apart on you like that."

Jack grasped Daniel's arm, turning in around. "Hey," he said in a stern voice. "Don't you _ever_ apologize for grieving, Daniel, for letting your friends see you grieve. Letting it all out is a hell of a lot better than bottling it up inside and pretending that you're not hurting. Take that from someone who knows. I did that way too many times, and all it succeeded in doing is making me feel alone and bitter."

Daniel met Jack's eyes. "Thank you . . . for being there."

Jack laid a hand upon his shoulder. "Any time, Daniel. Any time."

--------------------------------------------------

Sam took the last bite of her food and set the fork down. "Thanks. That was good."

"You're welcome," Daniel said. He took the plate from her and got up from the table, turning away.

"Tasted very real," Sam added.

Daniel let out a soft sigh. He turned back around, putting on a smile. "I was thinking that we could go into Luxor tonight, have dinner, go for a nice walk."

Sam shook her head, giving him a mirthless smile. "Come on. You can't really expect me to just play along."

Anger filled Daniel's face, and he threw down the plate. "I've done everything for you! Leaving the program, moving to California, all for you!"

"See? That is definitely not Daniel."

"How patient do you expect me to be?"

Sam shook her head. "Nothing you say is going to convince me. I know who you are. I just don't understand why. What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?"

Daniel stepped toward Sam, transforming into Fifth.

"Because I love you," he said.

Sam gaped in shock at the Replicator as he smiled at her. Loved her? How could he possibly say that after the torment he just put her through?

"I understand that you may find that hard to believe, but it is true," Fifth said as he sat down at the table.

"Did you really think that you could convince me that this illusion was my life, that I would just accept it?" Sam asked.

"If it was something you wanted badly enough in your mind."

"Is that why you tortured me for so long? So I would want this as an alternative?"

"No, I tortured you because I was mad. Why do you think I hated you so much for what you did to me? From the first moment we met, when you let me inside your mind, I saw you like no one else ever could."

_'You are so wrong, Fifth,'_ Sam said in her mind. _'What you saw of me was nothing compared to what I have shared with Daniel. It never could be.' _

Knowing that would not be a wise thing to say, Sam said instead, "Human emotions can be very overwhelming. The fact that you feel anything at all is a miracle. It makes you very special."

Fifth smiled at her. "I'm glad you see that."

"No, you don't understand. I could never be happy this way."

The Replicator's expression abruptly changed, growing cold and hard. "Then you will be unhappy for a very long time."

--------------------------------------------------

"Thor, this is Commander Aegir, of the Valhalla. We are losing contact with the colony."

"We knew that communications would be lost eventually," Thor responded. "What have you to report?"

"We have located what appears to be the remains of a human-form replicator floating in space. It obviously survived the destruction of its ship. By all appearances, it is currently inactive."

"Transmit coordinates," Thor said.

"Use caution, Thor," Aegir warned. The transmission ended.

"What are you going to do?" Daniel asked.

The Asgard walked past the three humans.

"Where are you going?" Jack questioned.

"I am going to transport it aboard," Thor replied.

"Why?"

Thor walked up to the control console. "We must learn the location of the human-form controlling the Replicators on the planet."

A human-form Replicator was beamed onto the bridge. It was inside some kind of chamber. The three men stepped closer to it

"Anybody recognize him?" Daniel asked.

"No," Teal'c replied.

Jack stepped up to the chamber and laid his hands on the glass cover of the chamber. "Is it dead?"

"Hopefully not completely," Thor replied.

Jack quickly pulled his hands away from the cover and stepped back to join Daniel and Teal'c.

"All Replicators are linked by a sophisticated communication system," Thor explained. "If we can use this one to tap into the network, we will be able to see what any of the Replicators can see."

"And if he wakes up, is this chamber going to hold him?" Jack asked.

"Probably not."

Daniel and Jack exchanged a look as Teal'c got his weapon.

"Then perhaps there is no great wisdom in this," the colonel remarked.

"I will transport it back into space, if necessary, but we must take the risk," Thor responded.

An armed Teal stepped up to the other two men.

Jack looked at the weapon. "Good idea." He went and got a P-90. "Want one, Daniel?"

"Actually, I do better using my abilities," the archeologist replied.

The three men stood near the chamber, ready to attack the Replicator if it awoke and escaped. Thor activated the viewscreen, which showed white lines streaking across it, almost like severe video interference.

"What's that?" Daniel asked.

"Replicator communication data. I am searching for any references to other human-forms."

"And if you find one?" Jack queried.

"We must do all we can to destroy it."

--------------------------------------------------

Sam glared at Fifth. She'd been arguing with him for a couple of minutes now, but nothing she said was doing any good. "You can't just keep me here forever."

"Yes, I can."

"No matter what you do, I will never, ever participate in this fantasy."

Fifth suddenly looked away from Sam, staring off at nothing.

"What?"

Anger crossed Fifth's face. "No. This cannot be allowed."

Before Sam could say anything, the Replicator vanished.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Daniel, Jack and Teal'c had been dividing their attention between watching the viewscreen showing the Replicator data and keeping an eye on the human-form Replicator. All at once, a barely recognizable image became visible on the screen. All three men realized what it was at the same time. 

"Zoom in!" Jack said. 

Thor zoomed in on the image of Sam's face encased by Replicator blocks. 

"Sam," Daniel murmured, relieved to see the physical evidence of what his senses had been telling him. 

"Can you pinpoint her location?" Jack asked Thor. 

An aerial view of a forest came on the screen. 

"She is within a small Replicator structure on the planet. It is some distance outside the colony, near a rich vein of Neutronium," Thor said. 

"They must be using it to create more human Replicators," Teal'c surmised. 

"So, how did they keep from getting blown up with the ship?" Jack asked. 

"At least one of the human Replicators must have separated from the main ship with Major Carter prior to exiting hyperspace." 

Daniel's sixth sense sent a warning to him a mere second before the image on the viewscreen went black. The Replicator inside the chamber opened its eyes. Daniel, Teal'c and Jack quickly stepped away from the chamber, the colonel and the Jaffa raising their weapons. The Replicator turned its head and stared at them. The three humans watched as the damage on its body vanished. 

"Beam it out!" Jack yelled. 

An Asgard beam enveloped the Replicator, but nothing happened. 

"I am trying," Thor said. "It has made itself resistant." 

The beam disappeared, and virtually all the lights on the ship went out. 

"It has breached the internal barrier and interfaced with my ship's computer." 

The chamber opened, and the Replicator climbed out. Jack and Teal'c opened fire on it, but the damage wrought by the bullets disappeared within seconds, the Replicator completely unfazed. 

Focusing his power, Daniel attacked it as he had the other Replicators. They all watched as it began to come apart. Then it suddenly gathered back together, as if some force was binding the individual pieces together. His will hardening, Daniel struck with greater force, hurling enough power at it to bring down a death glider. The Replicator was torn apart. But, within seconds, it became whole again. 

Realizing in horror that he could not stop it this way, Daniel was preparing to attempt fire when, suddenly, the Replicator disintegrated. 

Blinking in surprise, the archeologist turned to see that Jack had the weapon Daniel had created. 

"Thought it was worth a try," the colonel said. 

The ship's lights all came back on. 

"You were correct about the weapon, Doctor Jackson," Thor said. "It seems to have permanently disrupted all communication between the individual cells." 

"Great," Jack said. "So, you think you can figure it out now?" 

"Indeed I can, O'Neill." Thor studied a schematic of the device. "Now that I have seen it in use and have collected data on its effects, I believe that I will be able to modify a larger version to broadcast a disruption wave over all of Orilla." 

"Thor, we have to get Sam," Daniel said. His head was killing him, and he could tell that he'd definitely overdone it, but all he cared about at that moment was rescuing Sam. 

"I cannot transport you inside the Replicator structure on the planet. Their defenses prevent it. But I can get you close." 

"Close is good," Jack said. 

Thor pushed a device across the control console to Jack. "Take this so we may communicate." 

Moments later, the three members of SG-1 were on the planet. The second they got there, Daniel's senses told him where Sam was. His teammates followed as he headed unerringly toward her. 

Suddenly, a swarm of Replicators began attacking. As Jack disintegrated them with the Ancient weapon and Teal'c blasted them with his shotgun, Daniel destroyed them with his mind, ignoring his steadily worsening headache. 

"Stop!" cried a voice behind SG-1. They all turned to see a human Replicator Jack and Teal'c _did_ recognize. The other Replicators hurried up the slope that Fifth stood upon. 

"If you harm me or any more of my brethren, I assure you, Major Carter will die instantly." 

"What have you done with her? Why did you take her?" Daniel asked angrily. 

Fifth met the gaze of the man he knew Sam loved. It filled him with anger that she cared so much for this human, yet felt nothing for him. Why could she not love _him_ like that? Perhaps if this human was dead, she would come to love him in time. 

Sensing his desire, the other Replicators began to move forward, but Fifth stopped them. If they attacked the humans, many of them would die, and he could not let that happen. 

Not answering Daniel's question, Fifth turned and left. 

"Jack, we have to get Sam," Daniel said. 

"I know, but you heard him. If we attack any more Replicators, they'll kill her. I need to contact Thor." 

Jack pulled the communicator out of his pocket and spoke into it. "Thor. It's Colonel O'Neill." 

"O'Neill. I have successfully modified my ship to emit a massive destruction wave." 

"Excellent. I knew you could do it." 

"The weapon is fifty percent charged. If this works, SG-1 will have saved the Asgard once again." 

"I'm real happy for you. I'm extremely proud, but we've got a little bit of a problem down here. Fifth detected our approach, and he claims he can kill Carter, instantly." 

"O'Neill. . . ." 

"Hey, I know what you're gonna to say. Her life was already sacrificed, and you've got your whole planet to worry about--" 

"Jack," Daniel interrupted. 

"But I've got problems, too," Jack continued. He glanced over his shoulder at Daniel. "Hang on a second," he said into the communicator. "What?" he asked the archeologist. 

It wasn't necessary for Daniel to answer the question, for, just then, Jack heard it: the sound of a whole lot of Replicators approaching. 

"This could be very bad," Daniel commented. 

Thousands of Replicators became visible, far more than the three men could ever hope to kill. Prepared to destroy as many as they could before they died, they were shocked when the Replicators moved right past them, actually diverting around them. 

"What are they doing?" Daniel asked. 

"Looks like they're running away," Jack replied. He spoke into the communicator. "Thor, are you ready yet?" 

"What is happening, O'Neill?" 

"They're retreating." 

"You must stop them, O'Neill. The weapon is not yet ready. They cannot be allowed to escape." 

Daniel met Jack's eyes. He knew that, if they attacked the Replicators, Sam might die. But he also knew something else. Sam would not want them to sacrifice the safety of the Asgard to save her. She would want them to save Thor's people. Though it ripped a hole in Daniel's heart to know that his actions might kill the woman he loved, he knew that there could be only one decision. 

Seeing this in Daniel's eyes, Jack gave him a small nod, then the three men took off after the Replicators. They killed hundreds, leaving in their wake the shattered remnants of Replicator bodies. But, as they already knew, they could not kill them all. There were far too many. 

Sam's presence was still strong in Daniel's mind, and he knew that, as long as it was still there, there was hope. But the fear remained that, at any moment, the feeling of her life force would vanish forever. 

The three men ran into a small clearing and saw what looked like a gigantic parody of some nightmarish spider. The Replicators were fleeing into in, their bodies merging into its form. The humans realized that it was a ship created from Replicators. 

"Can you disable it, Daniel?" Jack asked. 

The archeologist shook his head. "A regular ship I might be able to, but not that." He gazed at the ship. "Jack, Sam's in there." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Sam glared at Fifth. He had abruptly reappeared, telling her that they had to leave. Apparently thanks to Daniel, the Asgard had a weapon against the Replicators, one that would destroy all the Replicators on the planet. 

Fifth had also told her that Daniel, Jack and Teal'c were on the planet, killing Replicators, despite the fact that he'd warned them that he would kill Sam if they didn't stop. 

"Then why don't you kill me?" she asked. "You know why my friends won't stop just to save me?" 

There was an expression of puzzlement on Fifth's face. "No." 

"Because they know, when it comes right down to it, I would rather be dead than be trapped like this forever. No matter what you feel for me, I will _never_ love you back. Kill me if you want, but if you have even one shred of humanity in you and you really, truly love me, you'll let me go." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel, Jack and Teal'c watched helplessly as the ship lifted off the ground, its legs tucking underneath its body as it rose into the air and flew away. 

High above Orilla on Thor's ship, the weapon, at last fully charged, was activated. All over the planet, every Replicator that had been unable to escape was instantly disintegrated. 

"O'Neill, the weapon worked," Thor announced. "Reports from the colony say all the remaining Replicators have been neutralized. While the ship did escape, at least we have an effective means of fighting them now." 

"Jack, Sam still here," Daniel said excitedly. 

"Then let's go find her." 

The three men took off, Daniel in the lead. 

"O'Neill. I am detecting a fourth life sign in your immediate vicinity," Thor said. 

"Daniel's way ahead of you, Thor," Jack told him as he kept running, trying to keep up with the archeologist. 

The sight of Sam lying on the ground sent both joy and fear through Daniel. And then he saw her turn over and start to sit up, and the fear vanished. Seconds later, she was in his arms, being held so tightly that she might have complained if it didn't feel so good to be there. 

Daniel was trembling, trying very hard not to cry. Sam could feel the shaking of his body. She looked up at Jack questioningly. 

"We all thought you were dead, Sam," he told her softly. 

That was all she needed to know. She wrapped her arms around Daniel. "I'm okay, Daniel. I'm all right." 

He lifted tear-bright eyes to her, scanning her face intently. He cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers in a long kiss touched with all the grief, fear and desperation he had suffered. 

Pressing his face against the crook of her neck, he whispered, "I love you." 

"I love you, too," Sam murmured back to him. No matter how much Fifth might have thought he loved her, this was something he could never truly understand. 

As Daniel got to his feet with Sam, he swayed slight. The major grabbed hold of him. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I've just been overdoing it a bit." 

"A bit?" Jack repeated sarcastically. "I think he wiped out several hundred Replicators all by himself, and I don't want to think about how much power he threw at that human Replicator." 

"You killed a human Replicator?" Sam asked Daniel in surprise. 

The archeologist shook his head. "I tried, but it just kept reforming, even though I threw enough at it to bring down a glider." 

"I _knew_ it!" Jack exclaimed. "Dammit, Daniel. You should have known better than to keep using your abilities after that. You should have just shot the ones down here on the planet." 

"I knew that I could kill more the other way. And please don't yell. It hurts my head." 

"Jeez, I'm sorry," Jack apologized contritely. He could see now that the light was bothering Daniel's eyes and that he looked a little pale. 

Jack pulled the communicator out of his pocket. "Thor, we've got Carter. Can you beam us up?" 

Two seconds later, they were on the bridge of the Asgard's ship. 

Jack pointed a finger at Daniel "You. Go lay down." He gestured at the low table that was still on the bridge. 

"Yes, Mother," Daniel responded, walking over to the table with Sam. 

"Is Doctor Jackson ill?" Thor asked. 

"He overdid it with the psychic stuff. He can only do so much before it starts doing a number on his grey matter." 

"Yes, that is understandable. The human brain is not designed to use power of that magnitude, not even one as advanced as Doctor Jackson's. However, I believe I can ease his discomfort." 

A soft beam of light ran over Daniel's head where he lay on the table. Once it was gone, the archeologist blinked a few times in surprise. 

"Wow. I wish we had something like that back at the SGC," he said, sitting up. 

"How do you feel now, Doctor Jackson?" Thor asked. 

"Fine, no pain at all. Thanks." 

"You are welcome." 

"Any chance you might have a spare one of those doohickeys around that you'd be willing to let us have?" Jack asked. "It sure would give me peace of mind to know that every time Daniel overdoes it, he'll be all better with the push of a button." 

"What I did may have eliminated his pain, O'Neill, but it is not something that should be used on a regular basis. The human brain is very delicate and should be treated with care." 

"Yeah, well, tell _him_ that." Jack jerked his thumb at Daniel. 

Daniel let out a sigh, choosing to ignore the older man. He got off the table and walked with Sam over to the others, an arm around her waist. He was having a hard time keeping himself from touching her to make sure she was really there. 

"The Asgard owe you a great deal for your help, Doctor Jackson," Thor said, "and we believe that you can help us even more. I did not mention this before because my primary concern was the Replicators, but our scientists have studied your DNA and examined the data from the scan I did of you when we last met, and they believe that there is a good chance you are the key to solving our problem with our genetic degradation." 

"Wow. That's great news, Thor," Sam said. 

"It sure is," Jack agreed. "So, what do you need? More bits and pieces of Daniel?" 

"We will need more DNA samples, as well as more extensive scans," Thor answered. 

"Whatever you need I'll be happy to give," the archeologist told him. 

"Thank you, Doctor Jackson. If you are willing, we can attend to this now." 

"Sure, why not?" 

A while later, Thor had all the scans and DNA samples they needed, which were transported to the scientists on Orilla. Like what had been done with Jack, Thor also placed a marker in Daniel's DNA to prevent any attempts at genetic manipulation. 

The Asgard took SG-1 back to Earth, thanking them again for all their help. 

General Hammond couldn't say that he was surprised when his premier SG team suddenly appeared in the briefing room. He'd gotten used to things like that. 

"Hey, General," Jack greeted, waving at him through the window that separated them. "Miss us?" 

Hammond came out into the briefing room. "Can I assume that your mission to aid the Asgard is completed?" 

"Yep. Daniel gave them a cool new weapon, we whacked a whole bunch of bugs, and, to top it all off, the Asgard got what they needed to solve there little gene problem, also thanks to Daniel." 

"It sounds like it'll be quite an interesting debriefing, Colonel. Why don't you and your team go for your post-mission check-ups, get cleaned up, then come back here and tell me all about it." 

"Yes, sir." 

As SG-1 walked into the infirmary, Daniel didn't even give Janet a chance to open her mouth. 

"Yes, I used my abilities, yes, I used them too much, and, no, I don't need any scans or tests. Thor took care of it," he said, then sat on an exam table. 

Janet just stood still for a few seconds, blinking, as Daniel's teammates smirked in amusement. 

"Okay. Then I guess we can skip this and you can go," she said. 

"Great." Daniel jumped off the table and started past her. 

"Not so fast, Mister." 

"Damn. _Almost_ made it," the archeologist muttered. 

"Go and sit back down." 

With a sigh, Daniel returned to the table. 

"Now, someone please give me a more detailed explanation," Janet requested. 

The doctor got the story from Daniel, Jack and Teal'c about how the archeologist was obliterating Replicators right and left and tried to kill a human Replicator. When, in the telling, Janet found out that Sam had been the captive of another human Replicator for a while, she ordered the major to make herself comfortable on another exam table. 

"We'll get to you in a minute," Janet told her. She turned back to Daniel. "So, how bad was it?" 

"I've felt a lot worse," Daniel replied. "This couldn't compare to when I blew up the Al'Kesh or lifted the Stargate or when I did all that stuff at the Alpha Site." 

Just then, a thought hit Jack, and he cursed. "Daniel, we don't know if all that Ancient knowledge in your head is still where it's supposed to be. We didn't think to ask Thor." 

"What?" Janet questioned sharply. "What are you talking about?" 

"Thor merged my mind with the ship's computer so that I could access the knowledge in my subconscious," Daniel explained. "There was some danger that it could make it start to leak into my conscious mind again. After Sam was taken, and then we got so busy with the Replicators, I forgot all about it." 

Janet immediately hauled Daniel off for a PET scan. The other members of SG-1 were given their exams by one of the other doctors. 

"Well?" Jack asked when Daniel and Janet returned. 

"He appears to be okay," the doctor replied, "though the scan did show some changes from before. I can't be sure what it means." 

"Is there any chance that it's going to start leaking into his conscious mind again?" Sam asked, getting worried. 

"To be honest, I don't know. All we can do is keep a close eye on him for the next few days. If he starts exhibiting any symptoms, then we can begin to worry." 

"Well, at least, this time, Thor will probably come when we call," Jack remarked, "especially since Daniel saved all the Asgards' cute little grey butts." 

The debriefing was pretty interesting, Daniel, Jack and Teal'c reporting what happened with them, while Sam--who had gotten a clean bill of health--told everyone what happened to her. She did not include all the details of the illusion Fifth had created, only saying that he was trying to make her believe that she and Daniel had quit the SGC and were together on a dig in Egypt. 

"How could he have hoped to maintain that illusion?" Daniel wondered. "Even if you'd believed it was real to begin with, sooner or later, he would have screwed up. You've never been to Luxor, so you don't know what it looks like." 

"No, but I have been to Cairo," Sam answered. "We flew into there when we were going after Osiris. I guess he figured that he could take bits and pieces of what I saw in Cairo and create Luxor from them. He probably thought that, since I've never been there, I wouldn't know the difference. But you're right that he could not have kept it up forever. Eventually, I'd have discovered the deception. I don't really think that Fifth was thinking all that far ahead. I'm pretty sure that the whole illusion thing was a sudden idea of his. He did not plan it out." 

"I have to say that the idea of a Replicator being in love with you is just _so_ wrong on _so_ many levels," Jack stated. He then quickly added, "Not to say that he didn't have good reason to fall for you. It's just that he's, well, you know. . . ." His voice trailed off as Daniel and Sam stared at him. He turned to Hammond "Shall we continue?" 

Hammond almost smiled. "Excellent idea, Colonel." 

The debriefing continued. Jack and Teal'c said nothing about Daniel's emotional breakdown, for which the archeologist was very grateful. When Jack got to the point in the narrative where they made the decision to go after the Replicators despite Fifth's warning, Daniel had his gaze glued to the tabletop. 

"We figured that Carter wouldn't want us to endanger the Asgard to save her," Jack said quietly, his eyes going to Daniel, then to Sam. 

"You're right, I wouldn't," she responded. "And I figured that you guys would know that I'd rather be dead than live as Fifth's prisoner for the rest of my life." She looked at Daniel, who was sitting beside her, still staring at the table. She laid her hand over his. After a moment, he turned his hand upward and clasped hers. His eyes lifted to meet hers, and she saw the pain in them. She knew that this was something they needed to talk about once they were alone. 

The debriefing was concluded shortly after that. 

"I have some information that all of you may be interested in," Hammond announced, "particularly you, Doctor Jackson. While you were gone, a tentative agreement was reached with the other governments about the Ancient outpost in Antarctica. A team of scientists from many of the nations will be flying out there day after tomorrow to continue studying the technology and the records found there. Doctor Weir will be supervising the research project." 

Daniel was delighted with the news. "That's great. So . . . now that it's all settled--" His statement was halted by the general's raised hand. 

"I know what you're going to request, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said. "Permission grated for you to go to Antarctica. Your skill with the Ancients' language and unique knowledge of their race will make you an invaluable asset to the project. You are scheduled to fly out Tuesday morning." 

"Sir, permission to--" Sam started to say, but she, too, was interrupted. 

"And so are you, Major," Hammond told her. 

Sam gave him a smile. "Thank you, sir." 

Unlike Daniel and Sam, Jack was not the least bit happy. He was going to lose half his team for who knew how long. 

"Uh, sir. Not that I don't agree that Daniel and Carter would be a big help over there, but how long is this going to take?" he asked. 

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, Colonel," Hammond replied. "However, I understand that Doctor Jackson and Major Carter will eventually have to get back to their duties here. Let's just see how things go over there." 

Jack sighed silently. "Yes, sir." 

"If you wish, Colonel, you may accompany them. I couldn't allow you to stay as long, but I think we could do without you for a week or so." 

Jack wasn't sure he liked the idea of going to Antarctica again. Neither visit to that continent had been a pleasant experience for him. "I'll consider it, sir." 

Hammond dismissed everyone with the exception of Jack, whom he asked to come to his office. 

"Sit down, Jack," Hammond instructed as the two men entered his office. The general settled in his own chair. "I have no intention of asking something that would violate Doctor Jackson's privacy, but I need to know how he handled what happened on this mission. You said that all of you believed that Major Carter was dead." 

"Yes, sir. Daniel was . . . very upset, and with good reason. He loves Carter very much. Even so, he managed to pull himself together and do what needed to be done. I know that a lot of guys wouldn't have been able to do that." 

"And what about the decision to attack the Replicators after Fifth's threat? Did he pose an objection?" 

"No, sir, he didn't. He knew what had to be done and what Carter would want us to do, even though I know it just about killed him to do something that might result in her death. General, when I decided to let both Daniel and Carter stay on SG-1, I was confident that they could handle it. What happened today proves that my faith in them was well founded. I'm not saying that something else isn't going to happen that will change my mind, but I am proud of the way Daniel handled this situation." 

"Thank you, Colonel. That's all I needed to know." 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Long before the knock came on his door, Daniel knew that Sam was coming to see him. He'd sensed it several minutes ago, most likely when she was still quite a few blocks away. Actually, he'd never stopped feeling her presence, not since they'd arrived at Orilla. It was like an ever-present companion now. 

He answered the door and let her in. He managed to hold off for all of four seconds before he was pulling her into his arms and just about devouring her mouth with his. Sam felt the desperation in Daniel's embrace and kisses and realized that, right at that moment, what he needed more than anything was to convince himself that she really was alive. So, she kissed him right back with equal intensity, showing him with her kisses that she really was okay. 

Breaking from the kiss at last, Daniel cupped Sam's face in his hands and laid his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he psychically united them. The forging of their connection this time was so absolute that, for a while, Sam lost all sense of self. She could not tell where she ended and Daniel began. There was no division between them, except that they were still in two separate bodies. For several minutes, they stood still, sharing the essence of their spirits. Then, Daniel slowly ended the connection. 

As Sam's eyes opened, she saw that Daniel was close to tears. She had already felt this on some level, but it still hurt to see. 

"God, Sam. When I thought you were dead. . . ." he began hoarsely. 

"I know. I felt the same way when I thought that you were dead. Come on. Let's go sit down." 

The couple took a seat on the couch, their bodies pressed close together. 

After a few seconds of silence, Daniel spoke again. "Making the decision to keep killing the Replicators after Fifth talked to us was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. If you had died because of it. . . ." 

"Don't think about it, Daniel. It didn't happen. And you _did_ make the right decision. Don't ever doubt that, and don't ever think that I'll resent it." 

"But it made no difference, Sam. Sure, we killed a few hundred more Replicators, but the ship got away, and every Replicator we killed will eventually be replaced by more. We risked your life for nothing." 

"It wasn't for nothing, Daniel," Sam insisted. "Every Replicator you destroyed was still a victory. There's no way of knowing if killing all those Replicators might end up saving someone's life. To have just stood back and allow them to escape would have been wrong. You had to try and stop as many as you could." 

Daniel gazed at her. He knew that if Sam had died because they defied Fifth's warning, he would never have recovered from the guilt. It and the grief would have eaten away at his soul until there was nothing left. 

The archeologist pulled Sam tighter against him and held her in silence for a couple of minutes. 

Deciding that they needed to get on a happier topic, Sam said, "So, I bet you're really looking forward to going to the outpost." 

Daniel smiled a little. "I guess that might seem strange, considering what happened to me when I was there last. But I've wanted to find out more about the Ancients since Jack interfaced with the repository, and I've been trying to find the Lost City since I descended. Even though I have all the memories of that year I was ascended, the Ancients and other Ascended are still a mystery to me. Why did they make their laws about not helping those who aren't ascended? Where did most of them go? How many of them are still here? And then there's Anubis. How did that happen? I know that all of my questions aren't going to be answered at the outpost, but I'm hoping that some of them will, and I'm really hoping that we'll find out where the Lost City is." He looked at her. "So, how about you? I bet you're salivating at the thought of getting your hands on all that advanced technology." 

"You bet. I could probably spend days just studying that power module we found at Taonas. And then there are those things that you used to destroy Anubis' ships." 

"The Antarctic Treaty specifies that there can't be any weapons testing," Daniel told her. 

"I know, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to find out how they work." 

Daniel grinned. "I guess we'll need to pack for several weeks." 

"Most definitely." 

The archeologist's grin got even bigger. "Jack is going be _so_ unhappy." 

"Oh, yeah." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

A good part of SG-1's morning the next day was spent writing their reports. After that, Daniel began the job of catching up on as much of his backlog of work as he could. He'd already talked to his staff in both Archeology and Linguistics, telling them that they were going to have to do without him for a while. He also told them that if there was some translation or other job that they were totally stumped on, something that couldn't wait until he got back, they could email the details to him. 

Another piece of news was learned that day. A Colonel Alexi Vaselov of the Russian Air Force had requested a transfer to the SGC and would be arriving on Sunday. Sam told Daniel that the man was one of the most highly decorated officers in Russian military history, and the archeologist was glad that he'd get to welcome Vaselov to the SGC before heading off to Antarctica. 

Jack, however, wasn't all that impressed with the guy's "résumé", saying that he hoped Hammond wouldn't put the Russian on an SG team based only on that. Daniel pointed out that, so far, the promises made to the Russians about their part in the program hadn't been kept. 

"Well, at least they can't demand that he be put on SG-1," Jack said. "We don't need a fifth member." 

Daniel gave Jack a long look. "So, are you coming to Antarctica with us?" 

"Haven't made up my mind yet," the colonel replied. "For obvious reasons, Antarctica is not my most favorite place on the planet. Frankly, I'm surprised that you two want to go so badly. The place doesn't hold fond memories for you either." 

"True, but, once we get to work, I doubt that either of us will have time to dwell on that." Daniel turned to Teal'c. "What about you?" 

"Going to Antarctica would serve no purpose since I have no knowledge or skills to contribute there. I have requested that I be allowed to go off-world. The time for Ra'kon Akel arrived more than three weeks ago, and I wish to observe it." 

"Rack what?" Jack asked. 

"It is a ceremony in which a Jaffa formally and publically renews his pledge to the Goa'uld who is his master. It is performed once every twenty years and is usually witnessed by the Goa'uld and many of the other Jaffa in his service." 

"Okay, so why are you going to do that when you're not serving the Goa'uld anymore?" 

"For me, this Ra'kon Akel will have a different meaning. It will be my first formal, public pledge to destroy the Goa'uld. I intend to go to Albaren, where there will be other Jaffa to witness it. I am hoping that Bra'tac and Rya'c can be there as well. And, if General Hammond permits, I would like to remain a while afterwards to visit with them." 

"Sounds cool. Maybe I'll go with you instead of going to Antarctica." 

"I would welcome your company, O'Neill, but it is not permitted for any human to witness the Ra'kon Akel. Not even a Goa'uld's lotar can be in attendance." 

"Oh." 

"So, it looks like you'll be on your own, Jack," Daniel said. "That is unless you decide to go to Antarctica after all." He smiled. "But, hey, if you don't, this will give you a chance to catch up on all that paperwork that's managed to pile up again." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

It was the mention of paperwork that made Jack decide to go to the outpost, considering it to be the lesser of two evils. 

As they did on Friday, Daniel and Sam spent Saturday getting as much done as they could on their individual projects. They were both eagerly anticipating the time they'd spend at the outpost. One thing, however, had dimmed Sam's eagerness, and that was the news that Rodney McKay was there. The man drove her nuts. She talked to Daniel about it, mentioning things she never had before, including the fact that the Canadian had made a pass at her. When the archeologist found out about that, a wicked grin spread across his face, and he leaned over to whisper something in Sam's ear so there was no chance that anyone passing by the room would overhear. Sam liked what he said so well that her dread over meeting McKay again was transformed into gleeful anticipation. 

Daniel and Sam spent Saturday evening at her house, talking about the upcoming trip. Sam was looking forward to working closely with Daniel again. It was something they didn't do often anymore. That thought made her think of something else. 

"Something just occurred to me," she said. "At one point, I asked Fifth if he really thought he could convince me that illusion was my life. He said that, if it was something I wanted badly enough in my mind, I would. I've just realized that some part of me likes the idea of leaving everything behind and going off to be with you, the two of us working side by side on something that the fate of the planet doesn't depend upon." 

"That's understandable. There have been lots of times that I wished I could forget all of this and disappear on some dig for the next year or so. That usually happens after we've gotten our butts kicked or when I'm sitting in the infirmary with yet another injury. It's natural that people in our kind of job would sometimes long for a quieter life." Daniel smiled. "So, you'd like to go off with me and a bunch of college students on a dig, huh?" 

Sam also smiled. "Take the college students out of the picture, and I can't say it would be a horrible thing." 

Daniel leaned forward, bringing his lips up to within an inch of Sam's. "I'll remember that the next time I go through the gate on an archeological mission." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

At eight o'clock Sunday morning, Colonel Vaselov introduced himself to General Hammond. After no more than a couple of minutes, he spoke of being put on an SG team. The general informed him that, while he would certainly be placed on a team in time, it would be best for him to familiarize himself with the SGC first and read all of the mission reports to learn how things were done on SG teams. Though clearly not happy, the man did not complain and left Hammond's office. 

A short while later, Daniel went to go meet the colonel. As he drew close to the quarters the Russian had been assigned to, a strange, unnerving feeling came over him. He paused, not understanding the feeling. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was almost making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

Trying to push the feeling aside, Daniel stepped up to the door and knocked. As the door opened, and he looked at the man on the other side, the feeling increased dramatically. Something was very, very wrong about this man. He didn't know what it was, but it had his sixth sense clamoring a warning like it never had before. 

With extreme caution, the linguist introduced himself. The man seemed pleasant enough when he greeted Daniel, but that did not allay the archeologist's misgivings. He managed to avoid shaking hands with the Russian, some instinct warning him to keep his distance. He moved further into the room. 

"I've heard about your record, Colonel. It's very impressive," he said, deciding to start feeling the man out. 

"Thank you, but it is apparently not impressive enough for your General Hammond. I had hoped to be put on one of your SG teams, but he tells me that first I must learn of the SGC and read mission reports. I have already read many mission reports. I know of the danger that is out there, and I am not so naive to think that there are not things for me to learn, but how can I learn if I remain here on the base?" 

"I'm sure that the general just wants you to become acclimated to this place and what we do around here first. Actually, all new SG team personnel go through a lot of training before they're allowed to go through the gate. With the training you already have, I doubt that would really be necessary, but it's understandable that General Hammond would want to make sure that you've had some preparations. This is quite a bit different from what you've dealt with in the Russian Air Force." 

"Perhaps you are right. I must be patient and wait for when the general believes that I am ready." Vaselov smiled. "But I am grateful that you have taken the time to welcome me." 

Daniel smiled a little. "I figured it was only right to do so." 

Though the man before him seemed to be acting normally, Daniel's senses were still telling him that something was definitely not right. The problem was that he couldn't get a handle on it. 

Deciding to take a chance, Daniel stuck out his hand to shake that of the other man. "Well, I'll let you get busy on reading those reports." 

Vaselov stepped forward and took Daniel's hand. The second the man touched him, terrifying images flashed through the archeologist's mind. He felt a powerful presence, a presence that was not human. 

Stiffening, Daniel quickly stepped away from the man, backing up several paces. 

"Is there something wrong, Doctor Jackson?" 

"Who are you?" Daniel asked in a low, hard voice. 

"I do not understand," Vaselov said in a puzzled voice. 

"You're _not_ Colonel Vaselov." All at once, Daniel knew. His eyes narrowed. "Anubis." 

A look of surprise filled the face of the man before him. Then that face became cold and hard. 

"Hello, Doctor Jackson," the Goa'uld said, his voice remaining that of the Russian colonel, though it was pitched deeper and without an accent. "I was not anticipating that you would learn of my presence. How did you discover it?" 

"Why are you here?" Daniel asked, not answering Anubis' question. "Wait. You want to go through the gate. When we blew up your ship, you were stranded here. You can't use your abilities without bringing the Ascended down on your head, so you decided to . . . to possess someone and get through the gate that way." 

Anubis smiled. "Very good, Doctor Jackson." The smile vanished. "I see that I will no longer be able to use this body for my purposes. But then, I would have had to find another host very soon anyway." 

The body of Colonel Vaselov abruptly swayed, then collapsed. Daniel saw something like a black fog rise out of it. The blackness dove at him. 

Knowing that, if Anubis possessed him, his power would be used to kill and destroy, Daniel psychically struck at the half-ascended Goa'uld with enough force to level a small house. The power passed right through Anubis and slammed into the wall behind him, pulverizing it and wrecking havoc in the corridor beyond. 

The unexpected attack made Anubis pause in shock. Though it had not harmed him, he had felt the tremendous power that had just been unleashed, power not unlike that possessed by the Ascended. Yet it had not been one of the Ascended who attacked, but, rather, a mortal human. 

That's when Anubis realized the truth. Daniel Jackson was Dan'yar, the enemy that had been plaguing him and the other Goa'uld for months. A thought occurred to him. If he possessed the body of this man, he could use that power to destroy this base, eliminating yet another obstruction to his plans to control the galaxy. 

With a feeling of triumph, Anubis moved toward the archeologist again, intent on making the man's power his own. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

An alarm began blaring throughout the base. Wondering what was going on since there had been no warning of an unscheduled gate activation, Jack went to the nearest phone and called the control room. 

"This is Colonel O'Neill. What's happening?" 

"There's been some kind of explosion on Level 25, sir," the person who had answered the phone said. 

Jack immediately tensed. "25?" Jack ran through his mind all the things that were on that level. He halted on one thing in particular. Teal'c's room was on that level, as well as the private quarters for other senior SGC personnel. 

"Where was the explosion exactly? Was it anywhere near Teal'c's quarters?" Jack asked, hoping that the answer was no. 

"No, sir. According to what I heard, it was somewhere in the vicinity of the quarters that were just assigned to Colonel Vaselov." 

Jack's blood turned cold. Daniel had been planning to go visit the Russian colonel. 

Jack hung up the phone and made a mad dash for the elevator, praying that his fears would not be realized. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Seeing how ineffective his attack against Anubis had been, Daniel began to panic. He could not let Anubis take him, even if he had to kill himself to prevent it. 

In a last desperate attempt, Daniel focused the full force of his will upon the Goa'uld. With every fiber of his being, he fought to keep Anubis away from him, knowing that, if this failed, death would be the only recourse left open to him. 

Anubis was only a few feet from the man he intended to take as his new host when he slammed up against something unseen. He fought to get past it, but it was no use. It was as if an invisible force field was surrounding the archeologist, a force field that existed on both the physical and non-physical planes of existence. This was impossible. No mere human could have this kind of power. It could not be! 

Even as Anubis had that thought, the psychic power of the man before him actually began pushing him back. Realizing that Daniel Jackson's power was even greater than he'd believed it to be, Anubis felt a moment of fear. Was it possible that this human could actually destroy him? 

It was then that he sensed something else, something that made him quickly cease his attempt to take Daniel as a host. Recognizing the danger of what he was sensing, Anubis withdrew. 

Daniel saw the Goa'uld disappear through the ceiling. Realizing that he'd won, he released the power he had been wielding. That's when the consequences of using that much power slammed into him. He staggered, agonizing pain blazing through his mind. 

Falling to his knees, Daniel struggled to remain conscious. He had to warn everyone. He had to tell them about Anubis. 

Slowly losing the battle to remain conscious, Daniel fell over, catching himself with an outstretched arm. The blackness was creeping in on his vision when he felt someone grab his shoulders. He looked up into the concerned face of an airman. He heard the man call his name. 

"Anubis," Daniel whispered before the darkness claimed him. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Jack ran full-speed down the corridor, almost colliding several times with others who were running this way and that. He hadn't even thought to ask if there were any known injuries. He'd been too anxious to make sure that Daniel wasn't among the casualties. 

Jack turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt. He stared in horror at the destruction before him. Most the wall of the room where the explosion occurred was gone, and so was a good portion of the wall across the way. A huge chunk of the ceiling had fallen down, enabling Jack to look straight up into the level above. The corridor looked like the remains of an air strike. 

With growing fear, Jack knew there was no hope that anyone in that room could have survived an explosion like that. But he had to be sure, and he had to know if his best friend was in that room when it blew up. 

Climbing over the wreckage and moving past the other airman and marines, Jack looked into the room. Stunned, he saw that, as impossible as it was, it had barely been touched. 

That thought quickly went out of Jack mind, however, when he saw that two people were lying unmoving on the floor--and that one of them was Daniel. 

Jack scrambled over what was left of the wall and hurried to his friend's side. 

"What happened?" he asked the airman who was sitting beside the fallen archeologist. 

"I don't know, sir. When I got in here, Doctor Jackson was still conscious, but he looked like he was in a lot of pain. And then he passed out. Um . . . sir? Before Doctor Jackson lost consciousness, he said something. I may be wrong, but I could have sworn it was 'Anubis'." 

Jack felt a chill pass through him. Anubis? What the hell? 

The colonel looked at the virtually untouched room, then at the blasted wall and the destruction beyond. He then stared down at the unconscious Daniel. 

"Damn," he muttered. "This wasn't a bomb." 

"It wasn't?" the airman said in surprise. "Then what did this, sir?" 

"Not 'what', Airman, 'who'. Daniel did it." 

The young man blinked several times. His eyes widening, he looked at the demolished walls and ceiling, picturing the force it would take to do that. "D-D-Doctor Jackson did that?" 

"Oh, yeah. I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure of it." 

The airman swallowed. "I, um . . . I'm sure glad he's on our side, sir." 

"You and me both." 

At that moment, Jack heard a familiar female voice. A few seconds later, Janet appeared in the opening. She clambered with some difficulty over the debris, her skirt and shoes not designed for that sort of activity. A nearby marine gave her a hand. 

The doctor knelt beside Daniel. "Can you tell me what happened, Colonel?" she asked as she began examining the archeologist. 

"Yeah, look around. It wasn't a bomb that did this." 

Janet looked up at him sharply. "Daniel?" 

"I think so." 

The physician resumed checking her patient. Upon finding his pulse strong and steady, his pupils equal and reactive, and no overt evidence of brain damage, she relaxed a little. 

"I think he'll be all right, but I will have to do some scans to be sure." Janet looked over at the other unconscious man. "What about Colonel Vaselov?" 

"Haven't a clue." Jack replied. 

Just then, another female voice was heard. Sam appeared on the other side of the decimated wall. As soon as she saw Daniel lying on the floor, she came scrambling into the room. 

"Don't worry, Sam," Janet told her, seeing the fear on the other woman's face. "I think he's going to be okay." 

The astrophysicist knelt beside Daniel, touching his face. "What happened?" 

"I don't know why, but I guess Daniel decided to do some major renovations to this section of the base," Jack replied. 

"What?" Sam looked at the destruction. "Daniel did that?" 

"I think so." 

"But why?" 

"I guess we'll have to ask him when he wakes up." 

Janet went to Colonel Vaselov. It didn't take long to tell that he was not in good shape. When she lifted his sleeve to take his pulse, she found severe lesions on his arm. There's no way these had just appeared. They must have been developing for days. Why hadn't the man gone to a doctor? 

The two men were taken to the infirmary, Jack, Sam and the newly arrived Teal'c accompanying them. Daniel was immediately sent off for a CT scan. 

General Hammond joined SG-1 there a while later. "Is it true that Doctor Jackson is responsible for the damage?" 

"We don't know that for sure, sir, but it's my guess that he was," Jack replied. 

"But what reason would he have for doing that?" 

"I wish I knew." 

The general left after a few minutes. He told SG-1 that he would not say anything to his superiors about Daniel possibly being the one who caused the destruction until they'd had a chance to talk to the archeologist. 

It wasn't all that long after the general's departure that Janet returned. 

"He's going to be fine," she said. "Luckily, there was no bleeding this time, and there is no indication of brain damage. A day or so of rest, and I'm pretty sure he'll be back to normal." 

"What about Colonel Vaselov?" Sam asked. 

"I'm afraid the news isn't so good. He's conscious now, but has no idea how he got here or even where he is. Apparently, the last thing he remembers is being in Russia. He has lesions over forty percent of his body and a highly elevated white blood cell count, which would seem to indicate some sort of infection, but the tests I've run so far have failed to reveal what's causing it." 

"Is he contagious?" Jack asked. 

"It's possible. We need to examine everyone who's been in contact with him." 

"Daniel was in contact with him," Sam said, getting worried again. 

"I know. I checked his WBC count, and it's perfectly normal, but that doesn't mean that he's not sick, too. It would take a while for the symptoms to manifest." 

Jack frowned thoughtfully. "Could hallucinations be one of the symptoms of this thing?" 

"Why do you ask?" 

"An airman told me that, just before Daniel lost consciousness, he said, 'Anubis'. Now, something made him blow the hell out of that part of the base. What if this disease made him see things that weren't there, like Anubis? He reacted by attacking it." 

"There is no Earth-born contagion I know of that would cause that kind of symptom within minutes of coming in contact with an infected person," Janet said. "If Colonel Vaselov had ever been off-world, I'd guess that this was an alien pathogen, but he hasn't." 

A chilling thought occurred to Sam. "What if it's not a disease? What if it's a toxin or some kind of biological weapon? The members of The Trust that we didn't catch could be responsible." 

"I hate to say this, but it would make more sense," Janet stated. "Some toxins and bio-weapons can begin causing symptoms within seconds. A few are almost immediately fatal." 

"Crap. The whole base could be infected," Jack said. 

"Sir, I think we need to recommend to General Hammond that the base be put on lockdown," Janet told him. "If this is a bio-weapon, it could be extremely contagious." 

General Hammond agreed that the best course of action was a lockdown. As the announcement was made, Daniel's teammates gathered around his bed, wondering if he would soon grow as ill as Colonel Vaselov, if _all_ of them would soon become sick. 


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Like the Russian officer, Daniel had been placed in an isolation room. Janet had wanted his teammates to wear full protective clothing, but Jack had rather bluntly pointed out that he and Sam had already been in close physical contact with the archeologist, so if this was something that was contagious, they'd probably already caught it. She settled for them wearing latex gloves and masks. Teal'c agreed to wear the gloves but not the mask. 

The lockdown had been in effect for about two hours when a low groan from the bed alerted everyone that Daniel was waking up. Sam quickly called Janet, who hurried into the room a few seconds later. 

The archeologist's eyes blinked open. He stared up, confused, at the faces gazing down at him. Then his memories all came flooding back. 

"Anubis!" he cried out, trying to sit up. 

"Whoa, Daniel. Calm down," Jack said, taking hold of the archeologist's shoulders and pushing him back down. 

"Jack, Anubis is here, on the base!" 

"Daniel, Anubis is dead," Sam said gently. 

"No, he's not. He was inside Colonel Vaselov. I could sense his presence, but I didn't understand what I was feeling until I shook Vaselov's hand." 

"How is this possible?" Teal'c asked. 

"I don't know, but I'm not imagining things. When I confronted him, he admitted who he was. Then he left Vaselov's body. He tried to take _me_ as a host. I attacked him, but it didn't phase him at all. It went right through him." 

Jack pulled his mask off, realizing there was no need to wear it. "Uh, yeah. We saw the results of that. You kind of made a mess of things." 

Daniel suddenly remembered the destruction he had wrought. "Was anyone hurt?" 

"No. Fortunately, nobody was in the area at the moment . . . on either floor." 

Daniel stared at him. "Either floor?" 

"There's a big hole in the ceiling, Daniel," Sam explained, removing her mask, "all the way through to the level above." 

"I could have killed someone," Daniel said, appalled. 

"Yeah, but you didn't," Jack told him. "All you did is make a hell of a lot of work for the unfortunate souls who are assigned clean-up duty and the ones who will have to do the repairs." 

"If you were unable to stop Anubis, why were you not taken as his host?" Teal'c asked. 

"I'm not sure how I did it, but I somehow kept him from getting at me. I just kept concentrating on pushing him away. He apparently gave up and left. Between the attack and fighting to keep him away, I guess it was too much for me." 

"Yes, it was," Janet confirmed, "although, luckily, you didn't do any damage to yourself." 

"This still doesn't answer the question of how Anubis got here," Sam said. 

"And how it is that he's still alive and kicking," Jack added. "You'd think that getting blasted out of orbit would have slowed the guy down." 

"I should have realized this before," Daniel murmured. 

"Realized what, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked. 

"Okay, when Anubis ascended, he surrendered his mortal form, but then he was kicked out, cast down by the Ancients, only it didn't work right." 

"You said that he was stuck halfway," Sam said. 

"Yes, but, as I mentioned in that hidden chamber in the Abydonian pyramid, he is still some form of energy." 

"But isn't that what the Ancients are?" Jack asked. 

"Yes, but, unlike the Ancients and other Ascended, Anubis apparently can't take on a solid form. We already knew that he was wearing some kind of force shield designed to contain his essence. That must be the only way that he can interact with things in the physical world." 

"And, when it was destroyed, that essence was released," Sam concluded. 

"Anubis would have been trapped in Earth's orbit, possibly inhabiting debris from his ship, millions of light years away from his power base," Teal'c surmised. 

"Okay, so how'd he get here?" Jack questioned. 

"I may be able to answer that," Janet replied. "I contacted Russia to give them a report on Colonel Vaselov and find out if they had any other cases like his. Just a few minutes ago, they called and told me that, around a month ago, Anatoli Constantinov fell ill after completing a tour on the International Space Station." 

Sam recalled something. "The space station? I remember now. Not long after the battle with Anubis, they had to alter their course around wreckage from his ship. I was in the control room monitoring the mission, and we lost contact for almost thirty seconds. We never figured out why. If I remember right, it happened the day Daniel was released from the infirmary." 

"Constantinov died less than a week after being admitted," Janet told everyone. "The official cause of death was renal failure, but the truth is that the Russian authorities have no idea what killed him. His symptoms matched those of Colonel Vaselov." 

"Is there any connection with Colonel Vaselov?" Teal'c inquired. 

"He visited Constantinov in the hospital just before the man died. They were old friends, served together in the Russian Air Force." 

"Are you saying that Anubis hitched a ride on a cosmonaut?" Jack asked. 

"And then abandoned him for Colonel Vaselov," Sam said. 

"No doubt attempting to escape through our gate," Teal'c guessed. 

"Why doesn't he just use his freaky, super cosmic powers and just . . . go?" Jack questioned, gesturing up toward the ceiling. 

"He can't," Daniel replied. "If he did that, the Ascended would stop him. He's not allowed to use any power he gained through his ascension, which means that, in his present form, he can't do anything." 

"See, in order to interact with the physical world, he has to get himself a new shield," Sam explained, "but he can't do that here on Earth. He'll need a body to dial the gate and get through." 

"He may already have one," Daniel stated. "He couldn't take _me_ as a host, but nothing would have stopped him from taking someone else." 

"He could be in anyone," Sam said. 

"Oh, joy," Jack muttered. "So, somewhere on this base, somebody's walking around with Anubis inside them." 

"And, apparently, the possession exacts a physical toll on the host's body," Janet stated. "With the elevated white cell count, it's as if the body sees Anubis the same way that it would an infection and attempts to fight it off." 

"How is Colonel Vaselov?" Daniel asked. 

"Not good, I'm afraid. His immune system is severely compromised. I'm doing everything I can for him, but I'm not sure if it will do any good." 

"But Anubis is out of him. Shouldn't he start getting better?" 

Janet shook her head. "Anubis was inside him for too long. The damage has already been done." 

"So, how are we going to tell who Anubis is in?" Jack asked. 

"I am assuming that anyone he inhabits will show symptoms," Janet replied. "The elevated white blood cell count would probably begin within minutes of the possession." 

Sam nodded. "Everyone could be tested." 

"There is another way," Daniel said. Everyone turned to him. "I can sense Anubis' presence. As soon as I get within a few yards of whomever he's in, I'll know." 

"Daniel, you need to rest," Janet told him. "You may not have suffered any physical damage, but what you did still took a toll on you. I'm betting that you've got one heck of a headache right now." The expression on the archeologist's face answered her question. "That's what I thought." 

"Janet, I can't just sit here while Anubis is running around the base. We have to find him." 

"He's not going anywhere, Daniel," Jack told him. "Hammond put the base on lockdown, nobody in or out, although that's not gonna stop something that can probably pass through solid objects. For all we know, Anubis has already left the base and gone topside." 

Daniel shook his head. "He wants to leave Earth. The only way he can do that is through the gate. He's still here." 

"And you're," Jack pointed a finger at Daniel, "staying right here," he pointed the finger at the floor, "until you're recovered." Daniel's mouth opened with an objection. "And no arguing!" Jack stated firmly. He turned to Janet. "Right, Doc?" 

The doctor smiled a little. "Right, Colonel." 

Daniel muttered something under his breath about double-teaming. 

"I'll stay with you for a while, Daniel," Sam told him. 

"Thanks, Sam. I'd like that." 

"Not too long, though, Sam," Janet said. "He needs to get more rest." 

Everyone else left. Sam found a chair and set it beside the bed. A nurse came in and gave Daniel something for his headache. After she had left, Sam took his hand in hers. 

Several seconds passed without either of them speaking. A quiet statement from Daniel broke the silence. 

"I was scared." 

Sam looked at his face, which was turned up toward the ceiling. She watched him, waiting for him to continue. 

"I've been scared before, plenty of times. Only an idiot would never be afraid when facing what we do. But, this time, I was terrified. When I attacked Anubis and it did absolutely no good, all I could think about was that, if he got inside me, he'd use my power to kill everyone." Daniel's eyes met hers. "If I couldn't stop him, I was going to kill myself." 

Sam gasped, her hand tightening around his. Just the thought of Daniel ending his own life made her sick. 

"I don't know how it is that I stopped him," the archeologist said. "Thinking about it, it should have been impossible. He's incorporeal. He can pass right through solid matter, yet, somehow, I managed to hold him off." 

"We still don't know exactly how your abilities work, Daniel. Some of the things you do, like seemingly create fire out of thin ar, should be impossible, yet you do it." 

Daniel smiled a little. 

"What?" Sam inquired. 

"I was just remembering Kheb. When I told you that I'd gained the ability to control fire, you said it was impossible." 

Sam smiled as well. "A whole lot has happened since then. I don't say that about anything anymore. I've seen the impossible become the possible too many times." She noticed Daniel's eyes begin to grow heavy. She stroked his cheek softly. "You should get some more sleep." 

"I don't see how I can sleep knowing that Anubis is on this base. What if he comes while I'm sleeping and manages to get inside me?" 

Sam had to admit that she hadn't thought of that. "What if we put a guard in the room?" 

"It would have to be two guards watching the whole room. He could come through any wall or the ceiling." 

Sam nodded. "You're right." 

Sam called Hammond, who had two men go to Daniel's room with orders that, if Anubis showed up, they were to immediately awaken Daniel. 

Confident that the archeologist would be safe, Sam left, her mind turning to the problem of how they were going to catch Anubis. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Anubis strode down the corridor. The body he was presently within would shelter him for a while, but it would not get him off this planet, and he would not be able to stay in it for long. He had learned that the medical personnel here were testing everyone for indications that they were or had been inhabited by him, which meant that he could not stay in any one body for more than a few hours. 

Anubis was getting frustrated. His escape through the Stargate was proving harder than he had expected. But then, he hadn't anticipated that the very man he had been seeking the identity of for all these months would turn out to be right here. 

The Goa'uld thought about the power possessed by the human named Daniel Jackson. He had no doubt that it was a result of the man's ascension. Somehow, when Jackson descended, some of the power he possessed as one of the Ascended remained. More than that, he had developed abilities that even the Ascended did not have. 

What happened in that room had shown that this one the Jaffa called Dan'yar was even more of a threat than Anubis had believed him to be. He had to die. As long as he was alive, he would be a dangerous obstacle. 

And there was another danger, one that would make the man an even bigger threat. If Daniel Jackson came to realize the true potential that dwelled within him, he could destroy everything that Anubis had been fighting to achieve for all these years. 

Anubis realized that, once he escaped from Earth, he would have to change his plans. Something far more drastic would have to be done to assure his total domination of the galaxy. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

After sleeping for nearly four hours, Daniel insisted on being let out of the infirmary, and, this time, nothing Janet said did any good. She reluctantly allowed him to leave, giving him strict orders to take it easy. He did not leave immediately, though. Instead, he went to the main ward, where he saw the long line of people that were waiting to be tested to see if they were or had been inhabited by Anubis. Daniel went down the line slowly. 

"He's not in any of them," he told Janet. 

The doctor nodded. "Okay. I still need to check them, however, to see if he _was_ in any of them." 

"I'd like to visit Colonel Vaselov. Is there any good news on him?" 

"I'm afraid not. I haven't given up yet, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do anything for him." 

Daniel went to see the Russian. The man was sitting up in bed, but he wasn't looking well. 

"Doctor Jackson," Vaselov said. He held out his hand, which Daniel shook. "I am glad to see you are well. The doctor told me what you did. You are most fortunate that you could prevent yourself from suffering the same fate I did." 

"How are you doing?" 

"Not so good. But this headache is not so bad as the time I went drinking with General Dashkaivitch in Novgorod." 

Daniel smiled at the comment, but it lasted only a moment. "I'm sorry this happened to you." 

"Do not apologize for what is not your fault, Doctor Jackson. It is I who should apologize to you. My presence here has resulted in this entire complex being locked down." 

"Which wasn't _your_ fault. It may have been your body that came here, but Anubis was the one controlling it. My wife was taken as a host to a Goa'uld, and I never blamed her for the things she did under its control. You were a helpless victim, just like she was." 

"It is disturbing to know that I was made a puppet to such a creature. Yet I know it could have been worse. My imprisonment lasted mere days, not the many years that others have suffered." 

Daniel left a few minutes later to allow the man to get some rest. He was heading to Sam's lab to see if any plans had been made when he froze in his tracks, sensing the presence he now immediately recognized. At the same time, his sixth sense warned him of danger. He spun around to face the SF who was standing about thirty feet away. The man's gun was drawn and aimed at him. Before Daniel could do anything, the SF fired two shots. The archeologist's mind immediately reacted. The bullets halted a few feet away, then clattered to the floor. Daniel then attacked. Anubis found himself pinned in place, unable to move the body he was inhabiting. Knowing that there was nothing he could do now, he abandoned the body of the SF and disappeared through the wall. 

The SF, now back in control of his own body, blinked in confusion. He stared dumbly down at the gun in his hand. Just then, several more SF's came running up, aiming their weapons at him. 

"No! Don't shoot!" Daniel exclaimed. "Anubis left him." 

The men hesitated for a second, then lowered their weapons. 

"What . . . what happened?" asked the man who had been possessed by Anubis. "What am I doing here?" 

"Anubis was in you," Daniel explained gently. "But it's okay now. You'll be fine." He turned to the other SF's. "He should be taken to the infirmary and checked out." 

"Yes, sir," one of them said. He led his fellow SF away. 

"Are you all right, sir?" asked another man. "We heard the shots." 

"I'm fine." Daniel picked up the two bullets after cooling them down in the same way that he could cool the embers of a fire. He walked forward and handed them to the SF. "Here. I wouldn't want someone to slip on these." 

The man gaped at the bullets. "Uh . . . thanks." 

As Daniel walked away, he heard one of the SF's say, "Damn. They weren't kidding. He _can_ stopped bullets in midair." 

Daniel continued hs journey to Sam's lab. He saw that Jack was there. 

"Hi. Anubis just tried to kill me," he calmly announced. 

The other two people in the room just stared at him for a second or two. 

"What?" Jack said. 

"He got inside an SF and tried to shoot me. I think maybe he's feeling just a little threatened, although I don't know why. I can't hurt him." 

"No, but you can sense his presence," Sam responded, "and that will make it harder for him to stay hidden." 

"Not to mention the fact that he must have realized that you're Dan'yar," Jack said, "the guy who's been a thorn in his backside all these months." 

Daniel grimaced. "I didn't think of that. This could be really bad. Ever since we found out that the Goa'uld had learned about Dan'yar, we've been worried that, if they found out _I'm_ Dan'yar, they'd attack Earth. Now, Anubis knows. If he escapes and manages to rebuild his power, he might launch another attack." 

"Then we'll just blast those ships out of the sky, too," Jack said. 

"If we can. There's no guarantee that I can still control that weapon." 

"But Anubis doesn't know that," Sam pointed out. "He'd be pretty stupid to try again." 

"Right now, I'm more worried about people shooting at you," Jack told the archeologist. "Maybe we'd better assign you a few bodyguards." 

"Who might end up getting shot instead of me," Daniel responded. "I'll be better off with just myself to protect." He took a seat. "So, anyone come up with a brilliant idea?" 

"Not really," Sam replied. "How do you stop something that has no physical body?" 

"We can't, which why we let the Ancients deal with him." 

"Yes, because they've always been _so_ helpful," Jack responded sarcastically. 

"If he uses his powers as an Ascended Being, he is breaking the rules. They will take action." 

"So, how do we make him do that?" Sam asked. 

"By making him believe he has no other choice." Daniel's expression hardened. "I think it's time that I went on a Goa'uld hunt." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

And thus began the deadliest "big game hunt" in the history of the planet. Daniel would have preferred to do it alone because of the danger, but nothing short of hitting Jack over the head would have stopped him from coming. 

Just as he had with the assassin that tried to kill him on the base all those months ago, the archeologist soon discovered that, now that he was actively hunting the Goa'uld, he was able to track Anubis' presence throughout the SGC. 

They'd been searching for only ten minutes, when Daniel sensed that Anubis was two floors above. He and Jack dashed up the stairs, the colonel radioing the SF's, warning them what level the Goa'uld was on. When they got there and came face to face with Anubis' present host, it took the Goa'uld only a couple of seconds to figure out that he'd been discovered. He took off running, Daniel and Jack hot on his tail. They rounded a corner, to find their quarry standing in the middle of the hall, looking around in bafflement. 

"Anubis left him," Daniel said. His head tilted downward. "He's on the floor below us." 

Down the stairs they went. When they confronted the Goa'uld this time, he immediately left the person he'd entered, disappearing though the wall. Jack and Daniel pursued him, traveling down corridors and cutting through rooms, the archeologist's senses guiding him like the needle on a compass. 

For nearly four hours, the chase continued like that, up and down, back and forth, covering the height and depth of the SGC. No matter where Anubis went, the "bloodhounds" stayed on his trail. Unable to shake them, the Goa'uld's anger grew. He wasn't able to stay in any one host more than ten minutes before he was forced to leave it and find another, and all his attempts to kill his pursuers failed. At one point, he had entered a man that was armed with a zat gun and attempted to shoot them. He'd watched as the energy was deflected by Jackson to splatter harmlessly against a wall. Another time, he got into the armory and grabbed a grenade, which he lobbed at Jackson and O'Neill. It halted before ever reaching them, the killing blast collapsing in on itself the instant it was born, not even leaving a scorch mark on the concrete. 

The angrier Anubis became, the closer he got to using his power. Daniel Jackson might be strong, but he could not survive the full might of Anubis' power. The human would die quickly, charred to a blackened lump of flesh. The thought of doing that gave the Goa'uld great pleasure. But he knew that, if he used his power, the Ancients would find out, and they would punish him for breaking the rules they placed him under. He did not know what they would do to him, but, whatever it was, it would not be pleasant and would no doubt end any hope he had of making the galaxy his. 

In his latest host, Anubis walked quickly down a corridor, knowing that it would be only moments before Jackson found him. He passed two men going in the opposite direction. 

"Yeah, but did you hear what Doctor Jackson did with the grenade?" the marine asked the airman. 

"Someone said he contained the blast," the airman replied. 

"He sure did. And then there's the mess he made of Level 25." 

The airman nodded. "I know. Like I said to Colonel O'Neill, I'm sure glad he's on our side." 

Anubis continued down the corridor, an idea forming in his mind. With a small smile, the Goa'uld set about putting a new plan into action, one that would rid him of Daniel Jackson once and for all. 


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

General Hammond left his office and went to the control room.

"Sergeant, I need to make a base-wide announcement," he told Harriman.

"Yes, sir." The sergeant turned on the P.A. system.

The general leaned forward to speak into the microphone. "This is General Hammond. I have an urgent announcement. As you all know, Anubis is at large on this base. He has the ability to possess and take control of any one of us and has already done so with a number of personnel. I have just learned some grave news. Anubis has taken possession of Doctor Jackson and has Colonel O'Neill as a hostage. You all know what Doctor Jackson is capable of, so I have no choice but to order that he be killed on sight. The slightest hesitation could be fatal. Use whatever force is necessary. Because of the danger and what's at stake, it may not be possible to rescue Colonel O'Neill. I know, however, that he would approve and tell you not to risk this base in order to save him. All our lives depend on Anubis being stopped."

Up on the twentieth floor, Daniel and Jack froze, eyes widening at the announcement. The two men looked at each other, now knowing who Anubis had possessed this time.

"Crap," Jack said. "This is _so_ not good."

At that moment, two armed men came around the corner. Seeing Daniel, they pulled their weapons. The archeologist reacted instantly and yanked the guns from their grasps. Before he could say anything to convince the men that Anubis wasn't possessing him, one of them yelled into his radio, calling for reinforcements, which it turned out were down the hall only a few dozen yards.

Daniel looked at Jack. "I think running would be a good idea."

"I think you may be right."

The two men turned and fled, escaping into the stairwell. Daniel melted the doorknob mechanism so that no one could follow them that way, but he knew it wouldn't stop the searchers from getting to the stairs from other levels.

He'd no sooner had that thought when they heard the door on the next level up open. Daniel sensed two people. He grabbed Jack's arm, and they headed down the stairs, grateful that there were no cameras to track them.

They'd made it only two floors when six men rushed through the door right in front of them. The instant they saw Daniel, they opened fire with their P-90s. There were too many bullets for the archeologist to stop, and he felt one of them wiz by his head. Afraid that Jack would be hit, he had no choice but to strike at the men. They tumbled down the stairs to land in a heap on the next landing.

Terrified that he might have just killed someone, Daniel hurried down with Jack to check on the men. They were all alive, but there was no way to tell if any of them were badly hurt.

"What are we going to do, Jack?" the archeologist asked, almost feeling physically ill that he'd been forced to attack their own men. "The whole base is hunting us." He met his friend's eyes. "You need to go. As long as you're with me, you're in danger."

"No way, Daniel. I'm not leaving you to face this alone." Jack's eyes cast upward. "We're not going to be able to make it up to the surface, not without someone getting seriously hurt or killed, so we'll have to go down. Once we get to the bottom of the stairs, we can barricade ourselves in until we get this mess straightened out."

The two men hurried the rest of the way down, Daniel melting the doorknobs at each level.

Once they'd reached the bottom, the archeologist turned his power upon the final two stories of the staircase. With a horrid screeching sound, it was ripped from the wall, twisting like a pretzel. The stress on the steel was too great, and it tore apart, leaving a broken and tangled mass that would be impossible to get past.

Daniel slid down the wall to the floor, head cradled in his hands. He felt a gentle hand placed upon the back of his neck.

"Bad?" Jack asked.

The archeologist squinted up at him. "Bad enough. It never really went away."

"Dammit, Daniel. You should have stayed in the infirmary."

"I couldn't stay there any longer, Jack, not with Anubis free on the base." He looked up at the destroyed stairs. "If they decide to drop several grenades down here at once, I'm not sure that I'll be able to contain the blast, and, if I throw the grenades back up, someone could get killed."

"Then we need to do something about this before that happens." Jack got on his radio. "This is Colonel O'Neill. Daniel Jackson has _not_ been taken over by Anubis. I repeat. Doctor Jackson is not being controlled by Anubis."

There was a brief pause, then Colonel Reynold's voice came over the radio. "You've been compromised, Jack. We can't be certain that Anubis isn't forcing you to say that."

Jack opened his mouth to curse Reynolds out, but then he thought of something. "Two bravo delta," he said instead. It was a code he had used with Reynolds on a mission a few years ago. He'd just told the man to switch to another radio frequency. Jack changed to that frequency, telling Daniel to do likewise. He figured that it was pretty likely Anubis was listening in on the one the search teams were using, and he didn't want the Goa'uld to hear his conversation with the leader of SG-3.

"Reynolds, you there?" he asked into the radio.

"I'm here."

"Okay, you listen to me. Do you honestly think there's anything that snake could do to make me protect him? Think about it. Anubis has to be in control of General Hammond. Daniel's a threat to him. What better way to eliminate that threat than to do something like this? If you kill Daniel, there will be no way to stop Anubis."

There was a long pause, then another voice was heard.

"Daniel?"

The archeologist spoke into his radio. "Sam?"

"Is that really you?"

"God, yes, Sam. Please believe me."

"I want to, but how can we be sure?"

"You know that Jack wouldn't say something like that if it wasn't true. He'd rather die than help Anubis in any way."

Reynolds' voice came back on the radio. "We can't be certain that Anubis hasn't found a way to use Doctor Jackson's abilities to take control of Colonel O'Neill."

"Crap," Jack cursed. "He would have to think of something like that, wouldn't he."

"But I don't have that kind of ability," Daniel said.

"No, but they can't be sure of that."

Daniel met Jack's eyes for a long moment. He then got on his radio. "We're in the stairwell, on Level 28. I'm going to open the door, and Jack's coming out."

"Daniel, what the hell are you doing?" Jack asked angrily.

"As long as you're with me, they can't be sure that I'm not in control of you. If you're out there, they might be more prepared to believe it."

"I'm not leaving you in here alone."

"What difference does it make? You being with me didn't stop those men from opening fire on us. At least this way, if things go bad, I'm the only one who's going to get killed. Please, Jack. You know I'm right."

The two friends stared at each other for several long seconds. As much as Jack hated to admit it, he knew that the archeologist was right.

"All right, Daniel. But I am _not_ letting you get killed by our own men. I'm going to convince those blockheads that you're really you."

The linguist smiled faintly. "I'm counting on it. Go to the door, and tell them you're coming out. Once you're through, I'm going to lock it again."

Jack got to his feet and went to the door. "This is O'Neill. I'm going to be exiting the stairs on Level 28," he announced into the radio.

"We're on the other side, Colonel," SG-3's commander told him.

"Just don't shoot me, okay? That would really ruin the rest of my day. I'll toss my weapon out first."

"Understood."

Jack looked back at Daniel, giving him a small nod. He heard the sound of the melted doorknob mechanism being freed, then the door swung open a crack. Jack opened it a little more and tossed his sidearm out.

Swinging the door just wide enough to allow the passage of his body, Jack left the stairwell, hands clasped on top of his head. He heard the door shut behind him. Jack looked at all the weapons aimed at him.

"Nice welcoming committee."

"Step away from the door, Jack," Reynolds told him.

"Not until you swear to me that you're not going to blast the stairwell and Daniel to hell with a brick of C-4."

There was a long pause. "Jack, you know how dangerous Daniel is. If Anubis really is controlling him, we have no choice but to kill him."

"Yes, I do know how dangerous Daniel is. I also know that every one of you standing there, every person on this whole damn planet, owe their lives to him." Jack pointed at Reynolds. "You'd have died last year if Daniel hadn't driven off those Jaffa that had you and your team trapped." He stuck his finger at another man. "You'd probably have died at the Alpha Site if he hadn't risked his life to protect everyone there." Jack met the eyes of Sam and Teal'c. "And I'd have died almost two years ago if Daniel hadn't defied the rules of the Ancients by telling my team how they could help me escape from Baal."

A surprised expression passed over both Sam's and Teal'c's faces, which told Jack that they hadn't figured that out.

"So, I'll be damned if I'm going to stand back and let you kill him at the word of a man you _know_ might be the one Anubis is really controlling," Jack finished.

There was a long silence.

"Sir, it really is just Daniel in there, isn't it," Sam said, a note of hope in her voice.

Jack met her gaze. "Yes, it is, Sam."

The major searched his eyes intently. "I believe you."

"As do I," stated Teal'c. "This is a plan devised by Anubis to kill Daniel Jackson."

Jack turned back to the leader of SG-3. "So, what's it gonna be, Reynolds? Are you going to believe me or are you going to do what Anubis wants and kill the only man who has a prayer of stopping him?"

"Will he submit to a blood test?" Reynolds asked.

"Yes. You get Fraiser or one of her nurses down here, and they can take some blood. But don't use the base phone system. Send someone up there and have them talk straight to Fraiser. And do it quietly. We don't want word of this getting back to Anubis."

Reynolds ordered one of the men to go to the infirmary.

"If you're telling the truth, we all owe Daniel one hell of an apology," he said.

"You'd better believe it, although he won't ask for one. By the way, we left six guys on the Level 23 landing. Daniel had no choice but to push them down the stairs since they were trying to turn us into Swiss cheese."

"They were found, Jack," Reynolds told him. "Most of them were just banged up a bit. Grover has a busted arm, and Lippert's got a mild concussion, but they'll both be okay. I guess if Daniel really was possessed by Anubis, he'd have killed them all."

"Yes, he would have. He'd also have done a good job of blasting this place to hell."

It didn't take Janet long to arrive.

"Anubis is _not_ in him, Janet," Jack told her immediately.

The use of her first name made the doctor look at him closely. Seeing the open, unshuttered look on his face, she nodded, accepting what he was saying.

"Then I guess we'd better prove it to everyone else," she said.

"Some of my men are going in there with her," Reynolds stated.

"Not a chance," Jack said. "I don't want one of them shooting Daniel just because he moves a hand too quickly." He looked at the other members of his team. "We'll go in there."

Jack turned back to the door, Sam, Teal'c and Janet at his back.

"Daniel? You can open the door. I've got Fraiser, Carter and Teal'c with me."

There was a clicking sound, and the door opened. The four people entered, shutting the door behind them. Sam saw Daniel sitting in the corner. She went to him without hesitation. The moment she touched him, he established the link, and she felt his spirit, pure and untouched by the foulness of Anubis. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry I doubted you," she whispered.

"No, Sam. It's okay. I understand."

Janet knelt beside Daniel. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"If I tell you the truth, will you make me stay in the infirmary?"

"That bad, huh?"

"It's been worse."

The doctor got down to the business of getting the blood sample. Once the vial was filled, she left with it. Sam and Teal'c elected to stay with Daniel while Jack went back out to make sure nobody got it into their heads to try something.

"This is General Hammond," said a voice over the PA system. "I want a status report from all teams."

Jack met Reynolds' eyes. "What are you going to tell him?"

The leader of SG-3 changed frequencies back to the one that the control room was monitoring. "They've gotten by us for the moment, sir, but we're on their trail."

Hammond's voice sounded over his radio. "Colonel Reynolds, I'm counting on you and your men to protect this base. Do not allow Anubis to escape. And do not believe anything Colonel O'Neill or Doctor Jackson tell you."

"We won't let Anubis escape, sir," Reynolds told him. He switched back to the other frequency. "Alpha teams, are you still in position?"

"Yes, sir, just awaiting your orders," came the reply from the lead team's commander.

"What's this about?" Jack asked.

"I've got teams stationed out of sight at every possible exit from the control room and briefing room to prevent General Hammond from getting out. As soon as Doctor Fraiser confirms that Daniel's clean, they'll move in."

"Good thinking. You do realize, though, that Anubis can just leave Hammond and move to someone else."

"Yes, but at least he'll no longer be in the general."

Jack was surprised by how quickly Janet returned. She must have run the test at record speed.

She ran up to them. "He's clean," she said a little breathlessly. "Anubis can't possibly be in him."

Reynolds immediately got on the radio. "Teams five and six, move in. Everyone else hold your positions. The target has been confirmed."

In the control room, Anubis, still within the body of General Hammond, was shocked when eight armed men rushed into the room, weapons aimed at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" he bellowed. "Lower your weapons immediately!"

One of the team commanders spoke. "Everyone out of the room. Anubis is in control of the general."

Stunned, the personnel gaped at the base commander, then quickly backed away from him, some fleeing from the room.

"Major, you are making a big mistake," Anubis made Hammond say. "I am _not_ possessed by Anubis. He is inside Doctor Jackson. If it was Jackson who told you this, it's a lie to trick you into allowing him to escape."

"Give it up, Anubis," said a new voice. "They know the truth."

The Goa'uld turned to see Daniel reach the top of the stairs, the rest of SG-1 and Janet behind him.

"You see, though _you_ could lie about me, blood tests _can't_ lie," Daniel explained.

Realizing that he'd been found out, an enraged Anubis left General Hammond's body. Several people gasped as they watched the black form exit the general, then disappear through the ceiling.

Hammond swayed, blinking several times. He looked around, baffled. "What's going on?"

"It's a long story, sir," Jack replied. "The short version is that Anubis possessed you, then tried to get everyone to kill Daniel."

The general looked sharply at the archeologist. He saw the paleness of the younger man's skin and the pain etching line into his face.

"Doctor Jackson, are you injured?"

"No, but I, uh . . . I do think I need to sit down."

Jack grabbed Daniel's arm as the younger man swayed, looking as if he was about to keel over.

"Someone get him a chair," the colonel snapped.

Sergeant Harriman quickly got a chair and wheeled it over. Daniel gratefully lowered himself into it. Janet was instantly at his side, taking his pulse.

"You need to go to the infirmary, Daniel," she told him. "You're on the verge of exhaustion. I can also tell that you're in a lot of pain."

"Anubis is still here," the archeologist responded. "He's gone into someone else."

General Hammond came forward. "Son, I don't know what has been happening, but you're not going to do yourself or anyone else any good if you work yourself into a collapse. I want you to go to the infirmary and let Doctor Fraiser and her staff take care of you. Anubis will not get through the gate."

Daniel nodded his head tiredly.

Hammond turned his attention to Jack. "Colonel, as soon as you've seen Doctor Jackson safely to the infirmary, I want a report on what just occurred."

"Yes, sir."

With some help from Janet and Jack, Daniel got to his feet. As Daniel's teammates and the doctor escorted him to the infirmary, they heard General Hammond make an announcement over the PA, telling everyone to disregard his orders to kill Daniel.

By the time the five people got to the infirmary, Daniel was walking by sheer force of will alone. He headed straight to one of the beds and laid down. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Once again, Sam found herself removing Daniel's shoes and tucking him in.

"He'll be okay, right?" Jack asked, staring down at the pale, drawn face of his friend.

"I think so," Janet replied. "He just needs a lot of rest. He shouldn't have left the infirmary as soon as he did."

"Yeah, well, he didn't know at the time that he would end up being hunted by several dozen people all trying to kill him."

"It scares me to think about how close he came to be killed by the people who are supposed to be his friends and allies," Sam said. She shook her head. "I should have known. I should have figured out right away that it was a lie."

"Carter, if it hadn't been for the fact that I was with Daniel the whole time, I wouldn't have known that Hammond was lying either."

Sam stared down at Daniel, brushing a hand through his hair. "He played upon everyone's fears," she said softly, regretfully. "Everyone on this base knows what Daniel can do, and every single person has probably thought about what would happen if his abilities were turned against us. As much as they may respect and admire him, they're also at least a little bit afraid of him, of what he is capable of doing. Anubis took advantage of that fear."

"I'm afraid you're right, Sam," Janet said. "The power Daniel has is a frightening thing. It's understandable that people would feel that way."

"Yeah, but I'm betting there are a few people around here who are feeling pretty darn guilty right now," Jack stated.

Janet smiled a little. "I should imagine so. The General is waiting for you, sir. I don't think Daniel's going to be going anywhere for the next few hours."

"I'll be staying with him for a while," Sam announced.

"As will I," Teal'c said.

As Jack headed for the infirmary exit, a voice called to him. He turned to see Airman Lippert in one of the infirmary beds. There was a bandage on the man's head, and he was sporting a beauty of a black eye. Jack recalled that this was one of the six men who had opened fire on him and Daniel.

"Sir, is Doctor Jackson okay?" the man asked worriedly.

"He will be."

"I'm so sorry, Colonel. We could have killed both of you. I didn't want to fire upon you. None of us did. It's just that, when we thought Anubis was inside him. . . ." The young man's voice trailed off.

Jack looked at the airman's features, seeing distress and guilt. "I know, Lippert."

The man's gaze dropped to the sheets. "If I was Doctor Jackson, I think I'd be pretty mad at us."

"He isn't mad, Lippert. He understands why everyone did what they did."

"Please tell him how sorry I am, sir."

"I'm betting that you'll get the chance to tell him that yourself . . . when _he_ comes to apologize to _you_."

Not giving the airman a chance to ask what he meant, Jack left the infirmary. When he got to the briefing room, he found that Reynolds was there with Hammond.

"Sit down, Colonel," the general instructed. "Colonel Reynolds has filled me in on what happened. I can't tell you how sorry I am that I was used in that way. I can only thank God that Anubis didn't succeed."

"Give thanks to Daniel's abilities as well," Jack said. "If he had less skill, he'd be dead now, and I probably would be, too."

A shadow of guilt crossed Reynolds' face.

"I'd like to hear your side of things," the general said.

Jack filled General Hammond in on everything.

Hammond shook his head. "It's no wonder that young man was on the verge of exhaustion. You're looking pretty tired yourself, Colonel. Why don't you go get some sleep."

"I think I might just do that, sir."

As Jack left the briefing room, he couldn't help but wonder what Anubis was going to try next.

* * *

Anger and frustration burned deep within Anubis. He had been certain that his plan would succeed, but he had been thwarted yet again.

At least he would not be pursued for a while. He had learned that Daniel Jackson was asleep in the infirmary. Anubis had toyed with the idea of trying to make him a host while he slept, but he'd also learned that the archeologist was being watched over by two of his teammates. It was doubtful that he'd succeed in possessing Jackson.

Anubis decided to take this time to plan what he was going to do next. Even though Jackson was not standing in his way at the moment, the Goa'uld knew that it would be extremely difficult to get through the Stargate. While in possession of General Hammond, he had learned that only a tiny handful of people had the authority to order the gate to be opened, and if anyone besides Hammond did it, the general could countermand it. Taking Hammond as a host again would be out of the question. Everyone would be immediately suspicious if the general ordered the Stargate to be dialed, especially with this thing called a lockdown in place. There was also the fact that the Stargate could be shut down or the iris closed instantly at the first sign of trouble. For Anubis to be able to actually get the gate dialed up and then make it through, he'd have to have a way to prevent others from interfering.

And then there was Daniel Jackson. Anubis knew that the second he made his move, the archeologist would come running, and there was a good change that the man had the ability to shut down the Stargate. No, for this to work, he had to be sure that Jackson would not stop him.

Examining the things he had pulled from General Hammond's mind, one thing in particular caught his attention. Yes, that just might work.

Getting up from the table he sat at in the commissary, Anubis walked out of the room, a new plan forming in his mind, one that would give Daniel Jackson and everyone else no choice but to allow him to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

"He's not here," Daniel announced. He was sitting up in the infirmary bed after having slept for over ten hours. His headache was gone, and he felt a whole lot better. It was now almost six a.m., and Sam and Jack had just arrived to check on him. 

Jack frowned. "What do you mean he's not here?" 

"I mean Anubis is gone. He's nowhere on the base. I tried to find him the moment I woke up." 

"Then he's left the mountain?" Sam asked. 

"He must have, although I don't know why." 

"So, what do you think he's up to?" 

"I have no idea," the archeologist replied. "Whatever it is, we're probably not going to like it. His attempt to get me killed didn't work, and he wouldn't dare try taking over Hammond again." 

"That's for sure," Jack said. "Hammond gave strict orders that, if he does anything at all suspicious, whoever is around is to immediately report it to me or Reynolds, and, if that isn't possible, bop him over the head." 

Sam smiled. "He actually said that, sir?" 

"Well, more or less." 

"So, if Anubis can't take over the general again, he's going to have to figure out a way of dialing the gate and getting through it without anyone being able to stop him." 

"The question is how can he do that?" Jack turned to Daniel. "The old spidey sense telling you anything?" 

"The spidey sense is saying all kinds of things, but I'm not fluent in the language," Daniel replied. "I know something's up, but your guess is as good as mine on what it is." 

The archeologist pushed back the covers and swung his legs around off the bed. 

"What are you doing?" Jack asked. 

"That should be obvious." 

"Has the doc said you could get up?" 

"No, but my bladder doesn't care." 

"Ah." 

Daniel went off to use the bathroom. When he came back, he started putting his shoes on. 

"Is your bladder also telling you to do that?" Jack asked with mild sarcasm. 

"Nope, this is coming from my brain." 

"Daniel, maybe you'd better make sure that Janet says it's okay for you to leave," Sam said. 

"Sam, I've been sleeping for over ten hours. I feel fine. The headache's gone, and I'm not tired at all. Sooner or later, Anubis is going to come back, and, when he does, I need to be alert and ready for him." 

"Okay, but you can't leave without telling Janet first." 

"I know." 

Janet agreed that Daniel was well enough to leave the infirmary, though she gave him the usual warning about taking it easy, knowing even as she did so that it would do absolutely no good. 

The three teammates met Teal'c in the commissary. It wasn't until he started eating that Daniel realized he hadn't had anything since the quick lunch he consumed yesterday at Janet's insistence. 

The archeologist's teammates watched in amusement as he dug into the breakfast with uncharacteristic gusto. They consumed their own meals with a bit more restraint. 

It wasn't until the last crumb was gone that Daniel looked up from his plate. He looked about at the others, a little embarrassed. 

"I, uh, was kind of hungry." 

"No. Really?" Jack said with exaggerated surprise. 

The others finished their lunch, their conversation about yesterday's events. 

"Daniel Jackson, O'Neill has told us that it was you who was responsible for the plan that succeeded in helping him escape Baal's stronghold," Teal'c said. 

"Well, sort of," the archeologist admitted. "I was getting kind of frustrated. I knew that I couldn't interfere directly, and Jack just wasn't cooperating in my attempts to help him ascend, so--" 

"Wait a minute. You tried to help the colonel ascend?" Sam asked, surprised. 

"He didn't tell you?" Daniel looked at Jack. 

"No, I figured they didn't need to know that," the colonel responded. 

"We didn't even know that you visited him back then until after you came to warn him about Abydos," Sam told the archeologist. "He admitted it at the briefing." 

Daniel turned his gaze back to Jack, cocking an eyebrow. 

"I didn't want them to think I was nuts," the older man said defensively. "_I_ wasn't even a hundred percent sure you were real." 

Daniel smiled slightly. "They wouldn't have thought you were nuts, Jack, just hallucinating, though MacKenzie might still have insisted on a psych evaluation." 

"Oh, he did anyway. I told him to go find a lake somewhere, preferably on another planet, and jump in." 

"I believe, O'Neill, that you also mentioned tying one hundred pounds of cement to his ankles before he entered the lake," Teal'c stated. 

Daniel turned back to Jack. "I should imagine that he didn't appreciate the recommendation." 

"Not really," the gray-haired man replied, "though it sure seemed like a good idea to me." 

Daniel returned his gaze to Sam and Teal'c. "As I was saying, I couldn't directly help Jack break out without having the other Ascended come down on my head, and helping him to ascend wasn't working, so . . . I decided to get sneaky. I knew that Lord Yu was not far away, and I realized that, if he attacked Baal, he might be able to knock out the power. But I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to get him there. I thought about going to him and telling him while he was in his sarcophagus, but I decided to go to Earth first. As luck would have it, Teal'c was in Kel'no'reem, so it was easy to plant the idea in his mind without him being aware that I was doing so." 

"And the Others were unaware that you did this?" Teal'c asked. 

"I have a feeling that Oma knew, but she never said anything." 

Daniel reached for his coffee. He was bringing it to his lips when he stiffened. He put the cup back down. "Anubis is back," he announced soberly. 

"Crap," Jack cursed. "We need to let Hammond know and find out if he wants us to keep doing what we did yesterday." 

"If you intend to hunt Anubis again, I will accompany you," Teal'c stated. 

"I think we all should," Sam said. "If we'd all been with Daniel yesterday, people would have been less likely to believe that he was taken by Anubis." 

"That's not going to happen again, Sam," Daniel told her, "it wouldn't work a second time. When Jack and I were after Anubis yesterday, he tried to kill us more than once. It's easier for me to protect one person than it is two or three, so it would be best just for one person to be with me. But you guys can take turns." He smiled. "Then Jack won't get all tired out." 

"Hey! I was not tired," the colonel insisted. He paused at the look Daniel was giving him. "Okay, so my knees were bothering me a little, but considering that we went up and down a million flights of stairs, I think they did pretty well." 

"I will accompany Daniel Jackson on the hunt this morning," Teal'c said. 

Jack was going to say no, but changed his mind. The truth was that his right knee was still bugging him a little, and it wouldn't hurt to ice it for a while. 

"Okay, but--" 

"And I'll go with him this afternoon," Sam quickly said before Jack could finish. 

Jack glared at her. She returned the look innocently. 

"Okay, then it's all settled," Daniel said. 

Jack frowned, but didn't object. "Before you guys go skipping off on your Goa'uld hunt, we need to find out if that's what Hammond wants." 

Daniel, Jack and Teal'c went to Hammond's office as Sam headed to her lab. The general decided that they should wait for a little while and track Anubis' movements. If the Goa'uld approached any vital areas of the base, then the "hunters" could go after him. 

The three male members of SG-1 left the office and got on the elevator, heading up to the floor Sam's lab was on. 

"I wish I knew what he's up to," Daniel said. 

"Goa'uld are usually predictable, but we can't say that about Anubis," Jack remarked. 

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "He has proven to be quite devious and canny." 

The elevator door opened, and the three men got out. 

"The only thing we _do_ know is--" A sharp gasp choked off Daniel's sentences. An expression of horror filled his eyes. "He's got Sam," he whispered. He looked at Jack and Teal'c. "Anubis has Sam." 

Before his teammates could question how he knew, Daniel was gone, running away down the hall. He barreled into Sam's lab, coming to a stop several feet away from the woman he knew was no longer in possession of her own body. 

"Get out of her. Now," he commanded. 

"You are not my master, Doctor Jackson," Anubis said in Sam's voice, a voice that lacked the life and warmth that should be there. "And you have no power over me. If you attempt to do anything to stop me, I will kill your mate instantly." 

In horror, Daniel realized that Anubis had taken Sam because of how much she meant to him. 

"What do you want?" Jack asked from his position behind Daniel. 

"You will allow me to leave this planet through the Stargate." 

"And Sam?" Daniel asked. "We're not going to let you go in her body. She'll eventually die, just like Colonel Vaselov is dying." 

"I have no desire to remain in this body. Though it is very attractive, I prefer to be in the body of a male. Once I have reached my destination, I will leave her and find another." 

Jack almost snorted. "And you honestly think we're going to trust you?" 

"I took you at your word once before, Anubis, and I learned that your word means nothing," Daniel said. "That won't happen again." 

"You have no choice," the Goa'uld said. "Try to stop me, and she dies." 

Daniel was torn. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't let Anubis kill Sam, but he also couldn't let the Goa'uld escape. What he needed was time to figure out what to do. 

Anubis took a step toward the door, but Teal'c blocked his way. 

"Let him by, Teal'c," Daniel said. 

Jack stared at the archeologist. "Daniel?" 

Daniel met his eyes, trying to convey his thoughts to the man. "Let him by." 

Jack searched his eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "Let him pass, Teal'c." 

The Jaffa reluctantly stepped aside and allowed the Goa'uld to leave the lab. 

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Jack whispered fiercely. "You know we can't let him leave Earth." 

"I can't let him just kill her, Jack. I need time to think." 

They all got on the elevator, the three men watching the Goa'uld closely. Daniel's mind was frantically searching for something he could do, some way to stop Anubis and save Sam. 

As they entered the control room, Jack told one of the people there to get Hammond. The General came in a moment later. 

"SG-1, what is this about?" 

"Anubis is in Carter, sir," Jack told him. "He said that he'll kill her if we try to stop him." 

The marines in the control room drew their weapons and aimed them at Sam's body. 

"You will allow me to leave this planet," the Goa'uld said, "or I will kill this woman. Then I will enter another and kill them as well. I will kill you one by one until you are all dead or until you let me leave. And, if you do not let me go even then, I will go beyond this mountain and kill still more. I will kill hundreds, and you will not be able to stop me." 

The deadly threat hung in the air. SG-1 and Hammond knew that the Goa'uld would carry out that threat. Hundreds would die, and they would have no way of stopping him. 

Hammond stared at Anubis, knowing that he had no choice but to let the Goa'uld go. "Very well," he said, hoping that he wasn't making a terrible mistake. 

As Anubis turned toward the dialing computer, the general told a tech to contact the infirmary to have someone standing by just in case Anubis did something. 

Daniel watched the Goa'uld, a desperate, perhaps even hopeless thought coming to his mind. Closing his eyes, he blocked everything from his consciousness except for the feeling of Sam's life force, which he could still sense beneath the black cloak of Anubis' presence. He reached his mind out to her, expanding his empathic abilities to that of the telepathic, seeking to speak to her mind to mind like he had once before as they made love. 

In the space of a single breath, Daniel's mind dove beneath the dark alien consciousness that held Sam hostage to the brightness that was the woman he loved. He spoke to her, not with words, for words would be heard by Anubis, but with images and emotions. Sam spoke back to him in the same way, telling him what he needed to know. 

Daniel withdrew from Sam's mind. Opening his eyes, he saw Anubis finish entering the gate address into the computer and turn to face Hammond. 

"Withdraw your men from the gate room," the Goa'uld said. "No one is to accompany me." 

As Anubis walked away, Hammond ordered the guards in the gate room to leave. 

The instant the Goa'uld was out of the room, Daniel leapt to the dialing computer and frantically began typing in commands. 

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Jack asked. He received no reply. The archeologist hit the final key just as Anubis entered the gate room. The Goa'uld walked up to the ramp and stood at the foot of it. 

While everyone else watched impotently as the gate dialed the address that Anubis would escape to, Daniel focused on something else. He was only partially aware when the wormhole formed. He waited as Anubis stepped onto the ramp and began walking up. 

The Goa'uld was halfway up the ramp when Daniel whispered, "I'm sorry, Sam." And then he struck. 

Sam's body suddenly dropped like a stone to lie unmoving on the ramp. 

"Shut down the gate!" Hammond yelled. 

"No, don't!" Daniel cried. 

Trusting the archeologist, Hammond shook his head at Sergeant Harriman. 

For a breathless moment, nothing happened, then the blackness that was Anubis began rising from Sam's body. Before withdrawing fully, it paused, and it was as if it was looking at them. 

With a terrible feeling of dread, Daniel suddenly knew what Anubis was going to do. Even as single scream of denial ripped from his throat, he felt it happen. And then he was running, stumbling down the stairs and racing into the gate room just in time to see Anubis pass into the event horizon. He scrambled up the ramp and crashed to his knees at Sam's side, gathering her still body into his arms. 

"I need a medic!" he scream. "I need a medic!" 

Jack and Teal'c hurried up to them. 

"He killed her," Daniel sobbed. 

"Ah, God," Jack rasped. 

Janet hurried in with her team. She ordered Jack and Teal'c to move aside. She felt for Sam's pulse, finding none. 

"She's dead," Daniel choked out. "I can't feel her." 

Janet touched his hand. "But there's still a chance that I can save her, Daniel. Don't you give up on her." 

That statement penetrated through Daniel's grief. He let go of Sam and followed as the medical team carried her off the ramp and loaded her onto a gurney. Janet climbed onto the gurney, straddling Sam's body, and began chest compressions as they were rushed out of the gate room. 

The trip to the infirmary was a nightmare, Daniel's eyes remaining glued to the motionless face of the woman he loved as he sought in vain for some spark of life within her. He was barely aware of the fact when they reached their destination. He was forced to move away to where Jack and Teal'c stood as Sam was hooked up to a heart monitor. The flat line it showed only confirmed what Daniel already knew. 

"She's in asystole!" Janet yelled. "Get that crash cart over here!" 

As soon as the cart arrived, Janet ordered the defibrillator to be charged to 200 joules. 

Sam's shirt was quickly cut open so that the paddles could be placed on bare skin. Janet grabbed the paddles and a nurse squirted gel on them. 

"Clear!" Janet yelled, placing the paddles on Sam's chest. Electricity surged into the astrophysicist. Her body arced upward for several seconds, then fell limply back to the concrete. The monitored remained flat-lined. 

"Increase to 300," Janet commanded, not removing the paddles from her patient's chest, "and get an EEG over here. I want to know what's going on in her brain." Seconds later, Sam's body was shocked again, only to fall back, lifeless. 

"Dammit, Sam! Don't you do this to us!" Janet cried. "360!" she told the medic. 

Again, Sam was defibrillated and, yet again, her heart remained still and silent. Janet called for one milligram of epinephrin and an intubation kit as she resumed chest compressions. As this was going on, the EEG was being set up. The leads were attached to Sam's forehead. 

As Janet began the procedure of putting a tube down Sam's throat, she heard a small sound of distress. She looked up to see the nurses gazing at the EEG monitor, which had just been turned on. What she saw made her freeze. The readout on the EEG was flat. 

_'Oh no.'_

Fighting back tears, Janet checked Sam's pupils for a response as two of the nurses continued CPR. The pupils were fixed and dilated. 

The doctor looked at Daniel, who was staring at the monitor, the expression on his face telling her that he understood what it meant. 

Turning back to her patient, Janet next checked for corneal reflexes, but found none. Refusing to give up, she was about to order that Sam be placed on a life support system when a hand was laid upon her arm. She met Daniel's eyes. The look in those eyes was something she'd remember for the rest of her life. 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, knowing in her heart that nothing she did would bring Sam back. 

Not replying, Daniel stepped up to Sam. His will hardening with the refusal to accept that she was gone, he placed a hand upon her forehead and the other one over her heart. Eyes closing, head bowing, he tapped deep within himself, into the power that had saved Teal'c's life on Taonas, that had healed Daniel himself from a gunshot wound. With single-minded purpose he turned it upon Sam--not just to heal, but to bring the dead back to life. 

Time passed as everyone in the infirmary watched Daniel fight to bring life back to Sam's body. Not a soul spoke, no one moved, barely a breath was drawn as they bore witness to what many would call a miracle. 

Almost a full minute had passed when the EEG began showing activity. An instant later, Sam's chest rose with a single breath as the heart monitor came to life. Janet gasped, her hand grabbing onto Jack's arm. Sam took a second breath, and then a third. 

"My God," someone murmured. 

A few more seconds passed before Daniel's head lifted, his hands falling away from Sam, who was now breathing regularly, her EEG showing a normal delta frequency. On the heart monitor was a strong, steady rhythm. 

The archeologist's gaze lifted to Janet's, and he smiled. In the next instant, he collapsed, Jack just managing to catch him before he hit the floor. 

Janet scrambled to his side. He was semi-conscious, his pulse slow but strong. 

"Daniel? Come on. Wake up," the doctor urged, lightly tapping his cheek. 

The archeologist's eyes blinked open slowly. 

Janet smiled down at him. "That's it. Come on back to us." 

"Sam," Daniel whispered. 

"She's okay, Daniel. You brought her back." 

He struggled to sit up. 

"No, just stay down. You're pretty weak right now." 

"No. No, I'm okay," he insisted. 

Seeing that he looked a bit stronger, the doctor let him get up, though he appeared more than a little shaky on his legs. He stroked Sam's face, his eyes filling with tears as he watched her chest rise and fall with the breath of life. 

Sam was put in a bed. General Hammond, who had witnessed the amazing event that unfolded, smiled at the sight of Daniel sitting beside the woman he had just brought back from the dead, her hand held tightly in both of his. 

He turned to Janet and the other two members of SG-1, who were also watching the scene. "Keep me informed, Doctor. Let me know when she awakens." 

"I will, sir." 

With a final glance at the couple, the general left the infirmary. 

Janet continued to watch Daniel and Sam. "That was . . . that was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," she said softly to Jack. 

"I know what you mean. I've watched him blow up spaceships and lift a Stargate, but that was. . . ." 

"Without compare," Teal'c finished. 

"Yeah." 

The doctor nodded. "Did Anubis escape?" 

"Yes, but, right now, I'm not all that upset about it," Jack replied. 

"He didn't," said a soft voice. 

The three people turned to Daniel. 

"Not really," the archeologist added. 

"What do you mean?" Jack asked. 

"I managed to change the gate address to KS7-535." 

Jack didn't have to be reminded which planet that one was. "Chilly." 

"Which planet's that?" Janet questioned. 

"It is a frozen wasteland," Teal'c answered. 

"Carter guessed that either the sun is cooling or the planet shifted to a wider orbit," Jack told her. "And there's no DHD." 

"But that means that, if Anubis had gone through with Sam, she'd have died," the doctor stated. 

"I would never have let him take her," Daniel responded. "I knew that he had no intention of letting her go. Either he'd have stayed in her until she was too sick or he'd have killed her as soon as he found a host he liked better." 

"So, what were you going to do?" 

"I knocked Sam out." 

Jack's eyebrows rose. "You what?" 

"I knocked her out. I figured that Anubis couldn't control an unconscious body." 

"Then that's what happened when Carter suddenly dropped like that?" 

"Uh huh. I knew that Anubis wouldn't have time to take another host, especially since he'd ordered everyone out of the gate room. I guessed that the planet he'd chosen to go to had humans on it. It would make sense. He'd want access to another host." 

"So, when you pulled your little trick, Anubis decided that he could just go on through and grab a host on the other side." 

Daniel nodded. "That's what I figured he'd decide to do." 

"But, instead, he was transported to a world with no life," Teal'c said. 

Jack smiled. "Sweet." 

Daniel looked back down at Sam. "I didn't consider that he'd kill her to get even with me." 

"But you saved her, Daniel," Jack told him gently. "You won, and he lost. You beat him." He grinned. "I'm betting that old Anubis is _not_ a happy camper right now." 

"Daniel, how did you knock Sam out?" Janet asked. 

"That was tricky, and I wasn't sure I could do it. Jack and Teal'c taught me the location of certain pressure points that, if pressed the right way, can render someone unconscious. That's what I did." 

"Psychically?" Janet said in amazement. 

"Yeah. Like I said, I wasn't sure I could do it, and I was afraid I'd push too hard, but I had no other choice." 

"Okay, I've got a question for you," Jack said. "How the hell did you know how to change the gate address? Carter been giving you lessons or something?" 

"No, that wasn't my idea, it was Sam's. I didn't know what to do to stop Anubis, so I asked Sam, and she told me what I could do." 

Jack stared at him in puzzlement. "What? When did you do that?" 

"As Anubis was entering the gate address." 

"Uh . . . Daniel, Carter was being controlled by Anubis then." 

"He might have been controlling her body, but Sam's mind was still there. It was just submerged beneath Anubis' consciousness. I managed to reach her." 

"So, while Anubis was busily orchestrating his big escape, you and Carter were having a nice little telepathic chat?" 

"Not exactly, but it's too hard to explain." 

"I bet. So, when were you going to tell me that you added telepathy to your list of skills?" 

"I don't think it would work with just anyone. I've known for a long time that I have a stronger psychic connection with you, Sam and Teal'c than with anyone else. I sensed that Sam was hurt on the Prometheus, again when she was Baal's prisoner and, most recently when Fifth had her. I sensed when you were hit by that staff weapon blast on P3X-666. I even sensed when Teal'c was hurt by Baal's Jaffa. Yet there have been a whole lot of other people here who have been injured since I gained these abilities, and I haven't felt a thing. Maybe it's because I already knew you three so well, or it could be the emotional connection. I don't know. Regardless of the reason, I think it allows me to do and feel things with you three that I can't with other people." Daniel looked straight into Jack's eyes. "As you've already suspected, there have been times when I've almost been able to read your mind, though it was not intentional." 

"Ah hah! I knew it!" Jack exclaimed. 

Daniel's gaze returned to Sam. "And, with Sam, the connection is even stronger. I can feel her presence all of the time now. I couldn't sense her when she was Fifth's prisoner and so far away, but I've sensed her ever since we reached Orilla. I think there's a chance that, if she was ever that far away again, I'd now be able to feel her." 

Janet studied the archeologist's face. "You look tired, Daniel." 

"I am a little, although, after sleeping for ten hours, I shouldn't be." 

"Well, bringing people back to life can sort of drain a person," Jack remarked. 

"Why don't you go lie down for a while?" Janet suggested. 

"I'm okay." A yawn snuck up on him. "Okay, so maybe I could use a nap," he admitted. "I'll just lie down here for a while. I want to be here when Sam wakes up." 

Daniel removed his shoes and laid down on the bed next to Sam's. A minute later, he was out. 

Jack smiled slightly. "Give me a call when Carter wakes up." 

Janet also smiled. "Will do, Colonel." 


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sam woke up about an hour later. The first sight that met her eyes was Daniel in the next bed over, lying on top of the covers, lips parted in a soft snore. 

"Hey, there," Janet greeted, coming up to her. 

"Hi. Uhhh . . . what happened?" 

"You don't remember? I guess that's to be expected." 

"The last thing I remember was being in my lab." 

Janet sat on the edge of the bed. "Anubis took you." 

"Oh, no. What did I do, Janet? Did I hurt anyone?" 

"No, Sam, you didn't hurt anyone, but. . . ." Janet paused. "Sam . . . he killed you." 

The major gaped at her. "What?" 

"Anubis killed you. We tried to revive you, but. . . ." 

"But then how come I'm alive?" 

"Daniel brought you back. I watched him do it." 

Stunned, Sam stared slack-jawed at her, then she turned to Daniel. "He. . . . Wow." 

"Uh huh. It sapped a lot of his strength, though, which is why he's zonked out on the bed there." 

Sam thought about the significance of what Daniel had done. "I'm finding this hard to believe. I mean, I saw him heal Teal'c, and he healed my hand and his gunshot wound, but to bring someone back from the dead. . . ." 

"I completely understand. This isn't something that medical science can explain. Of course, in this job, I see things that can't be explained by medical science on a regular basis, but this one is definitely for the record books." Janet got to her feet. "Can I get you anything? Water or some juice?" 

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." 

"I need to call Colonel O'Neill and the general. They both wanted to know when you woke up." 

Janet left to make her calls, which brought Jack to the infirmary a few minutes later. 

"Hey, Carter. You know, you'd better be careful. I think you're getting awfully close to breaking Daniel's record for number of deaths." 

"Go me," Sam muttered. 

Jack became serious. "We thought we'd lost you, Sam. But Daniel," he glanced briefly over at the archeologist, "refused to give up on you, which really isn't surprising considering all the times we've seen that legendary Daniel Jackson stubbornness in action." 

"Janet told me what he did. We saw the Nox bring people back to life and even experienced it ourselves, but. . . ." 

"But that was weird little aliens doing it, not one of us," Jack said. "And, on top of that, it took three of them to do it. Daniel managed it all on his own." 

"Do you think it's possible that the Ancients could do that before they ascended? We know they could heal people." 

"I guess it's possible, although, if they could, I have to wonder why they made that Telchak thing," Jack replied. 

"Because healing people themselves caused a physical drain on their bodies. Using technology would be more practical and safer." 

"Safer? Seeing what that Telchak thing did, I wouldn't call it safe." 

"I doubt that the Ancient who made it intended it to work that way." 

"Ya think?" 

"Sir, could you tell me what happened? Janet didn't explain." 

The colonel recounted to her what happened after Anubis took control of her. 

"Then Anubis is trapped," she said after he was finished. "He has no way of getting off that planet. Even if he had a host, without a DHD, he couldn't dial the gate." 

"Yep, so, unless some unlucky guy happens by with a spaceship, Anubis is going to be in that winter wonderland for a very, very long time, that is if he doesn't decide to take his chances with the Ancients." 

The cessation of the little snore made Sam and Jack turn to Daniel just in time to see his eyes open. The instant he saw that Sam was awake, he was off the bed and at her side. 

"Sam," he whispered, taking her hand. 

Deciding that was his cue to leave, Jack said he'd be back later and quickly departed. Daniel took the chair beside the bed, his eyes drinking in the sight of Sam's face. 

"I'm so sorry," he said, his voice full of guilt. 

Sam stared at him, flabbergasted. "Sorry? Daniel, you brought me back to life. Why on Earth are you apologizing?" 

"Because I didn't anticipate that Anubis would kill you when I knocked you out. I should have known. It's exactly the kind of thing he'd do. He destroyed Abydos just to spite me and to get even with the Abydonians for daring to defy him." 

"And if you hadn't done what you did, Anubis would have taken my body through the gate, and, one way or another, I'd have died anyway, but you wouldn't have been there to save me. You did exactly what you should have. Daniel, Colonel O'Neill said that you spoke to me telepathically, but I don't remember it." 

"I figured there was a chance that you wouldn't since you were still under Anubis' control." 

"So, I told you how to change the address the gate was dialing?" 

"Uh huh." Daniel smiled. "Fortunately, telepathic communication is more . . . comprehensive than verbal communication. There's no way I'd have been able to do it if you'd explained it to me verbally, especially not in the few seconds we had." 

Sam also smiled. "So, if I telepathically told you how to build a Naquadah generator, you'd be able to do it?" 

"Uh, no, I think that would be way too much for me, even with telepathy." 

"Too bad. I could use your help in the lab sometimes." 

"Well, even though I can't build a Naquadah generator, I'm always glad to give you a hand with what skills I do have." 

Sam pulled his head down to hers. "And what _very_ skillful hands they are," she murmured before taking his lips. 

It was quite a while before the two of them came up for air. When they did, they found Janet and a couple of the patients watching them with smiles on their faces. Even the nurses were smiling a little. Apparently, they'd gotten over their jealousy of Sam. 

A little embarrassed about the audience, the couple drew apart. 

"It appears that both of you are feeling just fine," Janet said, coming up to them. 

"I feel perfectly normal," Sam confirmed. 

"And I'm not tired anymore," Daniel added. 

"That's good to hear," said the doctor. 

"So, can I get out of here?" Sam asked. 

Janet looked back and forth between the two of them. "You know, I should feel hurt that everyone is always in such a hurry to leave my company." She smiled to let them know she wasn't serious. "Yes, you can go, Sam. All the tests I did came back normal. However, you will need someone to bring you a new shirt. We cut yours open to use the defibrillator." 

"Boy, it's a good thing I was wearing just a plain bra." She looked at her lover. "Some of my bras are for Daniel's eyes only." 

The archeologist grinned. "Ah, you mean like those lacy little things that you can see--" 

Sam covered his mouth with her hand. 

Janet smiled, enjoying the sight of the couple's playfulness. The smile died as she thought about what it would have done to Daniel if he'd been unable to save Sam. It was something she prayed that she'd never have to see him suffer. The same went for Sam. 

Someone was sent to get a T-shirt out of Sam's locker, then she and Daniel left the infirmary. They went to see General Hammond, who had requested that Sam come to his office once she was released from the infirmary. 

"How are you feeling, Major?" he asked with a kindly smile. 

"Good, sir. Glad to be alive." 

"As are we all. I wanted to congratulate both of you on how you outwitted Anubis. It was a brilliant tactic." 

"Thank you, sir, but all the credit belongs to Sam," Daniel responded. "She's the one who had the idea to change the gate address." 

"But it was your idea to knock me out, Daniel," Sam pointed out, "and you were the one who made it possible for me to tell you what to do." 

"I've already given the president a verbal report," Hammond told them, "and he asked me to pass on his praise to all of SG-1 for a job well done. Also, I'll let you know now that he is planning to visit the SGC on the 29th. He would like to have made it sooner, but that's the earliest he could work it into his schedule. He'll be coming here to tour the base and meet some of the personnel," Hammond smiled at Daniel, "as well as for another very special reason." 

Sam grinned. "The medal, sir?" 

The general gave her a nod. 

Daniel's gaze instantly went to the floor. Then he thought of something. "What about Antarctica, sir? Are Sam and I still going there?" 

"Yes, that hasn't changed, though you're getting a later start. If, by the time of the visit, your work there isn't finished, we'll fly you back here for the ceremony, then send you back to the outpost afterwards. And, on that subject, I can have you on a plane to McMurdo on Wednesday. I'd let you leave tomorrow, but Doctor Fraiser insisted that both of you be given a full day to recover from your ordeals, especially you, Doctor Jackson." 

"Wednesday will be fine, sir," Sam told the base commander. 

After leaving Hammond's office, Sam went to her lab, while Daniel went in search of the six men he'd been forced to push down the stairs. He was able to talk to five of them, all of whom were surprised by the apology since the reason he had attacked them was that they had been trying to kill him. Airman Lippert, who was on light, part-time duty for the next couple of days because of his concussion, was the least surprised by the apology because of what Jack had told him, but was the one who insisted the most vehemently that Daniel had nothing to apologize for. The sixth man, Lieutenant Grover, would be off-duty for a while because of his broken arm, so the archeologist's apology to him would have to wait. 

After that was taken care of, Daniel returned to the infirmary to get an update on Colonel Vaselov. 

"I'm afraid that there's nothing I can do for him," Janet told him regretfully. "The best we can do is manage his pain." 

Saddened by the news, Daniel asked. "How long does he have?" 

"Maybe two weeks, if that." 

The archeologist went over to the Russian. 

"Doctor Jackson. I heard about how you tricked Anubis. An excellent strategy. You would have made a good soldier in Russian military." 

"I can't take all the credit, Colonel. Without Sam's . . . Major Carter's help, I wouldn't have known what to do." 

"Please, Doctor Jackson. Call me Alexi. There is no need for titles." 

Daniel nodded. 

Vaselov removed his nasal cannula, and, with some effort, managed to get an envelope from the table beside his bed. 

"I wonder if you could do me a favor. I have a sister in Bryansk. Could you see that she gets this?" 

"Alexi. . . ." Daniel began, not wanting to take the letter. 

"The nurses have been careful not to say anything. That is always a bad sign. Please." 

Daniel reluctantly took the envelope. 

"Da. You know, in Russia, we have a saying." Vaselov spoke in Russian, then translated into English. "'The cord may curl long, but an end will appear.' That holds true for everything in this world, myself included. I accept this." 

Daniel responded with a different saying in Russian, smiling gently. 

"In the kingdom of hope, there is no winter," the colonel translated. 

"I prefer that one," Daniel told him softly. 

"Da, it's a nice saying." 

Daniel's smile faded as he gazed at the dying man. Dammit, he couldn't let this happen. Anubis had already taken far too many lives. He couldn't let this man be another victim of the Goa'uld. 

"I'll, um, I'll be right back, Alexi." The archeologist went back to Janet's office. "I need you to tell me everything that's wrong with Colonel Vaselov." 

"Why?" the doctor asked. 

"Because I want to heal him." 

Janet stared at him. "Daniel, speaking in layman's terms, he's a mess. Among other things, we're talking about multiple organ failure. Even if you could heal all that, if you couldn't repair his immune system, you'd only be delaying things." 

"Then I'll have to fix it, too." 

"Daniel, every time you heal someone, it drains you. We have no idea what kind of strain it's placing upon your body. You could be risking your health. With all the things you did while fighting Anubis and then bringing Sam back to life, you've already overdone it repeatedly. Healing Vaselov could prove to be too much for you." 

"So, I'm supposed to just let him die when I have the power to save his life? I can't do that, Janet." 

The doctor sighed. No, of course he couldn't. Actually, she should have seen this coming. 

"All right, Daniel. But I'm warning you now. I'm going to watch you like a hawk while you're healing him. If I get even the slightest hint that you're in trouble, I will put a stop to it." 

"Agreed." 

Janet got a couple of nurses, and the four of them went to Vaselov's bed. 

"Is something wrong?" he asked in puzzlement. 

"I want to try something, Alexi," Daniel told him. "Have you heard about how I can heal people?" 

"Yes. I am aware of how you brought Major Carter back to life. It is an amazing thing." Realization struck. "You wish to attempt to heal me?" 

"Yes. I don't know if I can, though. I've never healed someone with as much wrong with them as what is with you. And I have no idea if I can heal your immune system. But I'd like to try." 

Vaselov studied him closely. "And is there a risk to you?" 

Daniel glanced at Janet. "Um . . . yeah, maybe. We know that it weakens me, but we don't know if it hurts me in any other way." 

The Russian shook his head. "I am grateful that you would offer to do this, Doctor Jackson, but I must refuse. I cannot allow you to risk your health for my sake. I am at peace with my fate." 

"But I'm not," Daniel said firmly. "You're dying because I destroyed Anubis' ship. I am partly responsible for you being in this situation. One man has already died because of this, and I'm not going to let you die, too." 

"You bear no responsibility for what happened to me," Vaselov insisted. "You destroyed Anubis' fleet to save this planet. My death is a very small price to pay for that." 

Daniel's resolve did not waver. "A price I don't intend to see paid." 

The Russian looked at Janet. "Doctor, you cannot reason with him not to do this?" 

"I already tried, Colonel. It had about as much effectiveness as your arguments did." 

Vaselov shook his head, smiling slightly. "I believe this is what you Americans call being stubborn as a mule." 

"You don't know the half of it," the doctor told him. 

"If you two are done insulting me, I'd like to get started," Daniel said. 

"What must I do?" the Russian asked. 

"Just lie down all the way and relax." 

Vaselov reclined the bed to a horizontal position. As he had with Sam, Daniel placed his hands on the man's head and chest, closing his eyes. His mind delved into Vaselov just as it had Sam. He could sense the terrible damage wrought by Anubis' presence in the man's body. It was there in virtually every organ, in the muscles, tendons and tissues. He could also feel the damage to the immune system. 

With an instinct he did not question or examine, Daniel gathered his power and focused it upon Vaselov. It flowed through the man's body, touching every cell. Where it found damage, it healed. The Russian could feel his pain disappearing, could sense strength and vitality returning to his body. 

Seconds passed into minutes as Daniel remained unmoving, his mind concentrating solely on the task of healing the man before him. He could feel his strength being drained, and, with each passing second, it got harder and harder to keep going, but he was determined to heal the Russian fully. 

At last, he knew that he was done. He removed his hands from Vaselov's body. Janet and her nurses almost didn't succeed in catching him when his knees buckled. They lowered him gently to the floor. Janet called for some more help, and they got him into a bed, where the doctor examined him, finding that he was completely unconscious. Vaselov had gotten out of his bed and was standing a few feet away. 

"How is he?" he asked worriedly. 

"I think he's okay. He just passed out. I'm going to run some tests anyway. He--" 

A groan from Daniel interrupted her. She turned to see his eyes open. 

"Daniel? How are you feeling?" Janet asked. 

"Like I just ran a marathon and then swam the English Channel," he answered a little weakly. "Wow. That was hard." The archeologist looked up at Vaselov. "Alexi? How are you feeling?" 

"I feel wonderful. I have not felt so good since I was young man of thirty." He gazed at Daniel with gratitude and deep respect. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson. I owe you my life." 

"Daniel. Call me Daniel." The archeologist's eyelids drooped. "I think I'm going to sleep now." Before anyone could respond, he was out. 

"I deeply hope that he was not injured by healing me," the Russian said. 

"We'll run some tests, Colonel, which he'll probably sleep right through," Janet responded. "We also need to run some new ones on you." 

The tests that followed showed that Daniel was okay, though there were some mild chemical imbalances that Janet hoped would clear up on their own. As for Alexi, it was nothing short of amazing. The man was completely healed. There was not a sign left of the aliments that, only a short while ago, were killing him. His immune system was fully functional. Not only that, but the Russian reported that the mild pain he'd felt in his left knee due to an injury he'd sustained years ago was gone. It appeared that Daniel had healed more than just the damage caused by Anubis. 

When Jack found out what Daniel had done, he was pretty ticked off and told Janet that if Daniel ever decided to pull a stunt like that again, he was to be called _before_ it was done, not after. Sam was worried at first, until Janet told her that she was pretty sure Daniel was all right. After that, all Sam felt was pride in the man she loved. Alexi was still there in the infirmary, and he was a different man from the desperately ill one she'd spoken to before. He was healthy and full of energy, smiling several times at comments people made. It was great to see, and it was because of Daniel that they were seeing it. 

Surprisingly, the archeologist slept for only four hours. When he awoke, he felt only a little fatigued. Janet didn't even bother trying to make him stay. 

It wasn't long after he got back to his office that Jack arrived. 

"I know what you're going to say, Jack, so don't even bother," Daniel said before the colonel could even open his mouth. 

"Don't bother saying that I should have been there or don't bother saying that you did a really good thing?" 

Shocked, Daniel stared at Jack. "You're . . . not mad?" 

"I didn't say I wasn't mad, Daniel. Like I said, I should have been there. You also should have put a little more thought into your own welfare, though it doesn't surprise me in the least that you didn't. I'd probably faint from shock if you ever actually considered your own well-being first. But, despite that, you did a good thing. The Russians owe us one for this. Maybe they'll stop being a pain in the ass about their involvement in the program." 

Late that afternoon, Vaselov came to Daniel's office. 

"Doctor Jackson, I wish to thank you again. I also wanted to say goodbye." 

"Goodbye?" 

"Yes. I will be going back to Russia early tomorrow morning. Though the Stargate Program is an incredible opportunity for anyone in the military, transferring here was not a decision I made. I must return to Russia so that I may take the time to decide if this is where I wish to be. I love my homeland, and leaving it is not something I could do easily. But in this short time I have been here, I have seen how very important what the men and women do here is. To be a part of that would be a great honor. It could be that, someday, I will return." He smiled at Daniel. "And, when I do, I know that I will have at least one good friend who will welcome me." 

Daniel smiled as well. "Count on it." He held out his hand, which the Russian shook. "Good luck, Alexi. I hope we'll see you again someday." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

When Janet ran a new set of tests on Daniel that evening, she found that the chemical imbalances she'd detected earlier were almost back to normal. Even so, she intended to send word to the doctor at the Antarctic outpost to keep an eye on him for any signs of fatigue or other symptoms, and she extracted the usual promise from the linguist that he was to immediately report any problems. 

It had been four days since Daniel's mind was interfaced with Thor's ship, and there had been no sign that the Ancient knowledge in his subconscious was leaking back into his conscious mind. Despite this, Janet still had some misgivings about Daniel being so far away if he suddenly starting having problems. The archeologist reminded her that, if that did happen, the outpost was actually the best place that he could possibly be since the stasis chamber was there. That eased the doctor's concerns. 

That night, Daniel and Sam made love very slowly. With every touch Daniel gave Sam, he imparted to her his joy that she was alive. Wanting her to be totally focused on her pleasure alone, he did not establish their link, bringing her to climax twice before she took control of their lovemaking and began pleasuring him. It wasn't until their bodies were finally joined that Daniel united their spirits. They fell over the edge simultaneously a short while later. 

As they lay recovering, their bodies still joined, Daniel's mind reached out to that of his lover. 

_'Sam.' _

_'Daniel?' _

_'It's easier to talk to you like this when we're still connected.' _

Sam smiled mentally. _'Psychically . . . or physically.' _

Daniel smiled as well. _'Fortunately, I'm speaking of the psychic connection. If we ever need to communicate telepathically on a mission, like to come up with a plan to outwit the bad guys, it might be possible that I could create the link without touching you.' _

Sam made a little snickering snort. _'I was just thinking about if we had to be **physically** connected to do this. I can just picture you trying to come up with something to tell the bad guys to explain why you and I have to have sex before they start torturing us.' _

Daniel almost choked on his laughter. _'Can you see the look on Jack's face?' _

Sam started cracking up. '_That would be just too funny.' _

_'And Teal'c's eyebrow would probably become airborne.' _

The lovers broke into peals of laughter, both vocally and mentally. 

Daniel separated from Sam's body and lay on his back. She snuggled under his chin. 

_'I love you,'_ he mentally whispered. _'I can't even think about what would have happened if I wasn't able to bring you back.' _

Sam tilted her head up and met his eyes. _'Then **don't** think about it. I'm alive, and I have every intention of staying that way for at least another fifty years.' _ She poked his chest with her finger. _'And I expect you to do the same.' _

_'Only fifty? I have my sight set on us celebrating our hundredth birthdays together.' _

_'I stand corrected.' _

With matching smiles, the lovers closed their eyes and drifted away into sleep, their link bringing shared dreams of joy and the years ahead. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning, the three human members of SG-1 gathered in the gate room to say goodbye to Teal'c. General Hammond had given the Jaffa permission to go to Albaren and spend some time with his son. He would be gone for two weeks. 

"Have fun with that rack thing, T," Jack said. 

"I do not believe that the Ra'kon Akel will be 'fun', O'Neill. However, it will bring me more pleasure than any other I have performed." 

"Say hi to Rya'c and Bra'tac for us," Daniel said. 

"I will." 

Just then, the Stargate burst to life. Jack, Daniel and Sam said a final goodbye to their teammate, then watched as he walked up the ramp and disappeared through the event horizon. The gate shut down a moment later. 

Daniel and Sam went off to finish some projects as Jack went off to deal with some paperwork that Hammond had insisted he do before he left. It was only a fraction of what he'd have waiting for him once he returned from Antarctica. 

Work had gotten underway to repair the damage Daniel had wrought to the base, both to Levels 24 and 25 and to the staircase. A few people in charge of the SGC's budget had complained about the expense, that is until Hammond pointed out that it was a small price to pay when you considered that the result was removing Anubis as a threat to Earth . . . and keeping Daniel alive to continue fighting the Goa'uld. 

Unfortunately for Daniel--or at least _he_ thought it was unfortunate--the whole thing with Anubis had lifted his reputation up another few notches. Everyone was talking about how he'd beaten the half-ascended Goa'uld. There was also a lot of talk about how he'd brought Sam back to life and then healed Colonel Vaselov. It seemed like Daniel couldn't walk twenty feet without a pat on the back or some word of praise or congratulations. It was extremely embarrassing, and the archeologist was glad that he'd be leaving for Antarctica tomorrow. By the time he got back, this would all be in the past. 

That evening, Sam and Daniel were in their respective homes, finishing their packing. Because they'd be getting up so early to catch their flight, they'd decided that the easiest thing to do would be for each of them to spend the night at their own places. In that way, they could take care of all the last little things that would need to be done in the morning to close up their houses for the time they'd be away, which could be several weeks. 

This would be the first full night that they'd spent alone at home since they became lovers, and neither one of them was looking forward to it. 

It was around nine o'clock when Daniel's phone rang. He didn't even have to look at the Caller ID to know that it was Sam. 

"Hi," he said, smiling even though he knew she couldn't see him. 

"Hi," Sam said back. "Did you get your packing done?" 

"Pretty much. I'm putting the last things in now. How about you?" 

"All done." 

There was a moment of silence, then Sam said, "This is really pathetic, you know." 

"I know." 

"Four weeks and it's already an addiction. I want you here with me." 

"And I want you here with me. I'm not expecting to get much sleep tonight." 

"Me neither. All I can say is that they'd better have quarters that will accommodate two people at the outpost." 

The lovers talked on the phone for the next hour, until they decided that they should go to bed and try to get some sleep. It was going to be a very long flight. 

"See you in the morning," Sam said. "Love you." 

"Love you, too, Sam. Good night." 

Daniel hung up the phone and got ready for bed. The bed felt cold and lonely without Sam there beside him. Though it wasn't even remotely the same circumstances, it made him think about that first night he spent without Sha're after she was taken by Apophis. 

That thought made Daniel realize that not once since he and Sam became lovers had Sha're entered his mind, though it seemed like she should have. Sam was the first woman he'd been with since his wife died, only the second woman in his entire life that he'd truly loved. 

Daniel thought about that, about how his feelings for Sam compared to what he'd felt for Sha're. In some ways, it was the same, but, in others, it was very different. He had loved Sha're with all his heart, but there had always been this tiny gap between them, the differences in their personalities and interests something that they had never fully bridged. Sha're had a love for learning, but she never matched Daniel's unquenchable thirst for knowledge or his passion for archeology. When he found the map room, she had been interested at first, but then left him to pursue his archeological interests alone or with one of the Abydonian boys, which, more often than not, was Tobay, who, much to Daniel's dismay, had developed a bit of hero worship toward him. 

With Sam, it was different. Though it was true that they did not share all the same interests, and their personalities differed in many ways, the two of them seemed to fit together perfectly, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. They complemented each other. Daniel knew that, sooner or later, there would be arguments and disagreements, but he also knew that they would always be able to work things out. 

With warm thoughts of Sam in his mind, Daniel closed his eyes. Minutes later, he was asleep. 


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

"I hate this continent," Jack muttered as they stepped out of the dorm and into the cold Antarctic air. After arriving at McMurdo late last night, they'd spent the night in one of the dormitories, planning to leave for the outpost first thing in the morning. 

"Not wearing your thermal undies, Jack?" Daniel asked with a straight face. 

"You bet I am. Unlike certain people I could name, I don't have someone to snuggle up to and keep me warm." 

"I could probably suggest someone." 

Jack glared at him. "Don't you start that again." 

"Start what, Jack?" the archeologist asked innocently. 

Sam hid her smile. Daniel had revealed to her his belief that Jack had feelings for Janet, and she, in turn, had told him about her conversation with the doctor about the colonel. The two had toyed with the idea of doing a bit of matchmaking, but decided that Jack would try to kill them if they did. 

"Actually, sir, it's really not all that cold here this time of year," she said, "not compared to what it will be in a few months. It's still summer." 

"Well, I don't think I'll be whipping out my Bermuda shorts and Hawaiian shirt any time soon," Jack responded. 

The three members of SG-1 boarded the helicopter that would take them to the outpost. Their pilot was an Air Force major named John Sheppard, who chatted throughout a great deal of the flight. He'd been stationed at McMurdo for a few weeks, but didn't know about the Ancient outpost. All he knew about where they were going was that it was some kind of research station with a U.S. Military presence and scientists from around the globe. 

After being dropped off at the outpost, Jack, Daniel and Sam were greeted by a dark-haired woman the archeologist recognized. 

"Hello. I'm doctor Elizabeth Weir. I'd welcome you to our little outpost here, but you were here before any of us were." 

"Yes, and may I say it is not a fond memory," Jack stated. 

Elizabeth smiled slightly. "No, I should imagine it isn't." She turned to Daniel, shaking his hand. "Doctor Jackson, it is a pleasure to meet you. Everyone has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I'm afraid that you're going to be a very busy man while you're here." 

"I'm always busy, Doctor Weir. I'm used to it." 

"Used to it? Daniel, if you weren't up to your eyeballs in work all the time, you wouldn't be happy," Jack responded. 

The archeologist looked at him meaningfully. "Actually, Jack, I've come to quite enjoy my leisure time." 

Jack glanced at Sam. "Ah, yes. Of course. My mistake." 

Elizabeth looked at them in puzzlement. "Well, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your quarters so that you can unpack and relax for a little while." 

She led them through the building that had been constructed to house the scientists and other personnel working at the outpost. The three newcomers made note of where the dining room was. 

"Here you go. You can decide which room each of you want. I'm afraid that they're not very big. Space is at a premium here." 

"Twin beds?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer. So much for sharing a bed with Daniel while they were here. 

"Afraid so," Elizabeth confirmed. 

Daniel and Sam exchanged a look, which Elizabeth noticed and immediately interpreted. Now she understood those earlier comments. Too bad she hadn't known this before. She might have been able to make special arrangements. 

"Well, I'll let you get unpacked," she said. "You can eat whenever you wish. There are people working round the clock, so the kitchen is always open. I'll be heading back over to the outpost now, so I will see you there." 

"So, I'm assuming I'll be taking that room," Jack said after Weir was gone, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the one that was across the hall from the other two rooms, which were side-by-side. 

"Why do you say that, sir?" Sam asked. 

"Because you two are going to want to be in the rooms next to each other so that Daniel can rip out part of the wall and make them into a suite." 

Ignoring the look on his teammates' faces, Jack turned and disappeared into his room. 

"Now, why didn't I think of that?" Daniel said. 

Sam stared at him. "You're not actually going to do that, are you?" 

"If I can. I don't want to spend the next several weeks sleeping alone." 

"Me neither." 

The couple went into one of the rooms, and Daniel examined the wall separating it from the other room. It was constructed of plywood nailed into two-by-fours. 

"Do you think you can do this without making a racket that'll have everyone running to see what's happening?" Sam asked. 

Daniel studied the wall and the room for a few seconds longer, deciding upon the best course of action. He turned his attention to the nails holding the plywood in place. One by one, he pulled them all out from the first sheet of plywood. 

After a bit of shuffling around of furniture, the couple managed to set the plywood sheet up against the opposite wall, behind the bed, Daniel driving a couple of nails in to hold it in place. They repeated the process with the other one. The couple went to the other room, and Daniel did the same thing with the plywood on that side of the wall. He then carefully removed a couple of the two-by-fours in the center of the frame, making an opening large enough to walk through. 

"There we go. Our two singles are now a double," Daniel said. 

"Yeah, but the beds aren't." 

"We could put them together." 

"I guess that would work as long as one of us doesn't lay in the crack." 

"We can ask for a couple extra blankets and lay them underneath us where the crack is." 

Daniel and Sam spent several more minutes moving furniture, placing everything except the beds in one room and putting the twin beds together in the other. 

The couple looked around at their handiwork, satisfied that it would do. 

"So, how do you want to carry out our plan regarding the ever-irritating Doctor McKay?" Daniel asked Sam as they unpacked. 

"Hmm. I was giving that some thought on the flight over, and here's what I decided." Sam explained her idea to Daniel, who thought it was perfect. 

They left their room and knocked on Jack's door. 

"Ah. So, did you finish the remodeling?" he asked. "I didn't hear any sounds of destruction, just some banging around." 

"Yes, Jack, the remodeling is done," Daniel replied. 

"That's good. I really wouldn't have wanted to be around you two when you started getting grumpy about sleeping single." 

Embarrassed by the comment, the couple did not respond to it. 

"We're going over to the outpost now," Daniel said. 

"Yep, just as I figured. You can't wait to get your hands on that stuff. Have fun." 

The first person Daniel and Sam met when they descended into the outpost was a man with a thick Scottish brogue who introduced himself as Doctor Carson Beckett. 

Daniel shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Doctor." 

"Your Doctor Fraiser contacted me about your most recent adventures, Doctor Jackson. What you are able to do is simply amazing, a truly marvelous gift and a blessing to those whose lives you've saved. She expressed some concern about your health, though, and I promised her that I would make sure you were all right. May we go to my lab? I would like to discuss something with you." 

They went to the lab, and Beckett found some chairs for them to sit in. 

"I'm a medical doctor," he explained, "but I also have a wee bit of knowledge about genetics. When the first scientists came here after you discovered this place, they all tried to see if they could make that chair work, but not a one of them could even get it to light up. Some thought that it was because only someone who had the knowledge of the Ancients could operate it, but, once I got involved, I began to suspect that there was something more to it." Beckett faced Daniel. "I hope you won't be upset when I tell you that I got a sample of your DNA from Area 51." 

"Um . . . no, I don't mind." 

"I took a look at the data gathered by the scientists there and ran some tests of my own, and I have to say that your DNA is really quite extraordinary. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. Though, genetically, you are still quite human, you are advanced far ahead of us." The doctor leaned forward. "I firmly believed it was that genetic difference, not the knowledge of the Ancients, that allowed you to turn on the chair. The problem was that, if I was right, there was a possibility that you were the only person who would be able to control it. But then I recalled something. According to the Asgard, Colonel O'Neill is also advanced on the evolutionary scale, which was the reason why he was able to carry and utilize the information from the Ancient repository." 

"You think that Colonel O'Neill could control the chair?" Sam asked. 

"I don't just think it, I know it. You see, I did some tests on a sample of the colonel's DNA, and I discovered that it possesses a gene not found in normal humans." Beckett looked at Daniel. "Interestingly, you do not have the gene." 

"Actually, that doesn't surprise me," the archeologist responded. "Thor told us that the way I'm genetically advanced is not the same as Jack." 

"Well, since discovering the gene, we have tested several thousand DNA samples, and I discovered the same gene in a few other people. Ironically, I am one of them." 

"You have the gene? Are you saying that you can control the chair?" Sam questioned. 

The doctor made a face. "I have no desire to try, though Rodney has attempted to get me to sit in the bloody thing several times. But other people with the gene are here and have succeeded in making the chair work, though their abilities are limited." 

"How come we're only just now finding out about this?" Daniel asked. 

"Until we could actually test it, I had no way of knowing for sure if I was right about that gene enabling someone to control Ancient technology. I cannot tell you how anxious I was to get here. When we confirmed that I was right, there was an attempt to let Stargate Command know, but we were told that your base was in . . . in lockdown? I think that's what they said." 

Sam nodded. "The base was put in lockdown because of the issue with Anubis." 

"We did tell General Hammond yesterday, but you would have been en route to here at that time." 

"This is incredible news," Sam said. "It means that, if some other Goa'uld ever attacked, we wouldn't have to worry about there being someone who could fire the weapon, that is if the weapon still works. There's no way to know that short of trying it again." 

"I don't know how well one of the others could control that weapon. Like I said, their skills are limited, though I'm sure they could learn in time. There is some question on whether or not the reason for their limited control of the chair is that they don't have the advantage of the Ancient knowledge." The doctor turned his attention to Daniel. "That's why we'd like to see how well you can control it now that you no longer have the knowledge." 

"Um, sure, I can try," the archeologist said. 

"Good! We can go there now, if that's all right." 

Daniel shared a glance with Sam. "Actually, we have something else that we'd like to take care of first. It won't take long." 

"Certainly. I'll wait for you here, then." 

"Do you know where Doctor McKay is?" Sam asked. 

"I think he is in his laboratory." 

The doctor gave them directions to the lab, and they headed over there. As Daniel remained outside and out of sight, Sam walked in. Rodney McKay saw her right away, smiling. 

"Major Carter. It's good to see you. I think you'll be impressed with everything we've accomplished here already. I've been able to figure out how several of the systems work, and we're getting a lot of data. It's all written in Ancient, though, and the translators we have leave a lot to be desired. That's where Doctor Jackson is going to come in handy." 

"I think you'll find that Daniel's handy in a lot more ways than that. With him here, we'll probably find Atlantis in no time." 

"There's a lot of data and records to go through," McKay responded. "Even if the key to Atlantis' location is here, it'll probably take weeks to find it." He looked at her a little nervously. "I was, um . . . I was thinking that we could go get some coffee . . . or something, and go over my research notes." 

Daniel decided that was his cue to enter. He came walking in casually. 

"Hey, Sam." He walked up to her, pulled her into his arms, and brought his lips to hers in a long kiss. 

As the lovers drew apart a few seconds later, they turned to look at McKay. The man was gaping at them like a fish, eyes as wide as they could be and jaw just about hitting the floor. 

"Hello. You must be Doctor McKay," Daniel said. He left Sam's arms and stepped forward, holding out his hand. "I'm Doctor Jackson." 

McKay stared at the archeologist dumbly, still in shock. Regaining his composure with a great deal of effort, he shook the proffered hand. 

Daniel smiled at him. "Sam's told me a lot about you." 

That brightened McKay's expression. "Really?" 

"Uh huh. We share pretty much everything with each other." 

All hints of brightness were snuffed out. McKay began to frown. "Well, I'm sure you two must have a great deal to do. I'll, uh . . . I'll just get back to what I was doing here." 

"We can go over those notes later," Sam said to him. 

"Fine. Whenever." 

Daniel and Sam left the lab and walked away around a corner, where the major let out a quiet laugh. 

"Did you see that look on his face?" she asked, grinning. 

"Yeah." A little frown turned down the corners of Daniel's mouth. "You know, Sam. I think we broke his heart." 

"Are you kidding? There's only one person Rodney McKay's in love with, and that's himself." 

"I don't know, Sam. He looked pretty unhappy after he picked his jaw up off the floor." 

Even if Daniel was right, Sam didn't think that McKay could have anything more than a crush on her. It couldn't be anything serious. She decided not to think about it anymore. "Come on. Let's go back to Doctor Beckett." 

After returning to the doctor's lab, they went with him to the control chair. Daniel stared at it, remembering the last time he sat in it. 

"Whenever you're ready, Doctor Jackson," Beckett said. 

Feeling just a little nervous, Daniel climbed the dais and cautiously sat in the chair. It immediately lit up and reclined. Remembering what he did before, Daniel closed his eyes and sought to gain control of the device. As he did, he sensed a connection being made with his mind. 

"Daniel?" Sam inquired, seeing his expression become distance. 

"Do you feel something, Doctor Jackson?" Beckett asked. 

"I feel everything," the archeologist replied. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I can sense all the systems in the outpost. It's almost like when Thor merged my mind with his ship's computer. I think. . . ." 

Seconds later, things started turning on throughout the outpost. Technology and equipment that the scientists hadn't been able to figure out yet became active. All the lights came on. 

Several people came hurrying up, including Doctor Weir and McKay. 

"What's happening?" the woman asked. 

"He's turning everything on!" McKay said excitedly, forgetting for the moment his earlier dark mood. 

Daniel opened his eyes. Above his head, a holographic image of Earth's solar system formed. It changed to another solar system and then another. A dozen systems of worlds far away appeared and disappeared over the next minute. 

"I can only imagine how massive the database of systems must be," Sam murmured, gazing at the image. 

The hologram turned off. The chair returned to an upright position, and Daniel looked at everyone. 

"That was extraordinary," Elizabeth said. 

McKay looked around the area. "We need to get busy studying the things he turned on." He rushed off. 

The dark-haired woman smiled. "Congratulations, Doctor Jackson. He'll be in seventh heaven for days." 

Sam grinned. "Me too." 

Daniel got out of the chair. "Glad I could give everyone even more work to do." 

"I'm going to get started," Sam said. "I'll see you later, Daniel." 

The archeologist watched her go with a fond expression, enjoying the sight of her eagerness and excitement. 

"Could we chat for a while?" Doctor Weir asked him. 

"Sure." 

They went to her office. 

"First of all, I want to apologize for the situation with the rooms," the woman said. "I had no idea that you and Major Carter were in a relationship. Frankly, I'm a little surprised, what with you being teammates." 

"We've only been together for a few weeks," Daniel explained. "And don't worry about the rooms. I already took care of it." 

"You did? How?" 

"I took out the wall between the rooms that were next to each other. But don't worry. It can be put back the way it was before." 

"I see. I am aware of your paranormal abilities. I'm one of the few here that is. I have to say that I find the whole thing amazing and quite fascinating." Elizabeth smiled. "Carson, Doctor Beckett, is enamored of your DNA. He'd have gone on about it for hours, if I'd let him." She sat in a chair. "I have a personal request to make." 

Daniel settled in another chair. "What's that?" 

"Since I arrived here, I've been spending as much time as I can learning the Ancient language. I can't tell you how much help your notes on the language have been, not to mention the instructional tapes you made. I'm not the only one here who has been making use of them. However, even with the notes and tapes, we all still have a lot to learn. I was thinking that you might be able to help in that regard." 

"You want me to teach you?" 

"I would greatly appreciate it. It would be wonderful if you could hold some kind of class, perhaps just an hour a day." 

"Learning a complex language like Ancient in its entirely is not something that could be done in a few weeks." 

"Yes, I know, but the more we learn, the better off we'll be. And I do have some skill with languages. Nothing compared to you, of course, but I do all right." 

Daniel nodded. "Five languages, right?" 

Elizabeth smiled. "I see you've done your homework on me." 

"A bit." 

"What I'm hoping is that we'll be able to learn enough of the language that, when the expedition I'm putting together goes to Atlantis, we will be as prepared as we can be." 

Daniel stared at her questioningly. "You're already planning the trip to Atlantis?" 

"Didn't anyone tell you? Barely a day after the outpost was discovered, the president called me to the White House and asked me to lead the Atlantis project. At the time, I didn't know anything about the Stargate or anything else, so, to say the least, I was a bit surprised. I had no idea why he'd want me. He explained that, because of the terms of the Antarctic Treaty regarding military activity on the continent, it would be best if a civilian was in charge here. He also knew that there would likely be some problems with the other nations and was familiar with my history in dealing with that sort of thing. As it turned out, he was right, and I ended up spending a lot of time trying to smooth ruffled feathers, calm fears, and get everyone to agree on what could and could not be done with the outpost." 

"And what about this expedition you're talking about? I knew that, if we ever found Atlantis, someone would go there, but I had no idea that plans were already underway." 

"President Hayes isn't one to put things off. He recognizes the importance of what we might find at Atlantis. He also knows that, while Anubis may have been defeated, there are still plenty of other Goa'uld out there that could cause trouble. Atlantis may give us what we need to eliminate that threat. I'm hoping that, by the time Atlantis is found, we'll be all ready to go there." She studied Daniel closely. "Which leads me to something else. Not even counting your ability to operate that chair and, most likely, any other Ancient technology, your knowledge of the Ancients and their language is absolutely invaluable. When we go to Atlantis, I would very much like you to come with us." 

Daniel thought about the offer. "If this had happened before all this stuff with my paranormal abilities began, I'm pretty sure I would have jumped at the chance to go, but a whole lot has changed during these months. As you said, the Goa'uld are still a very big threat, not just to Earth, but to the whole galaxy. I've managed to do a lot with these abilities I've gained. They've saved a lot of lives and helped bring down more than one Goa'uld. While I would be glad to give you a hand wherever I can and occasionally come help with some project or a tough translation, I need to stay at the SGC and with SG-1, where my abilities will do the most good." 

Doctor Weir gave him a little smile. "I understand. I am a little disappointed, but I do agree with your reasoning." 

"Besides, for the first time, I actually have a real life outside the program, a life that I love, and I'm not prepared to give that up, even if it would just be for several months." 

Elizabeth's smile widened a bit. "I can understand that, too. I know what it's like to be in love. To be honest, when we leave for Atlantis, a part of my heart will be staying behind on Earth." She got to her feet, as did Daniel. "So, may I make arrangements for you to give daily language lessons?" 

"Sure, that would be fine. Mornings would be best, after everyone's had their coffee and had a chance to wake up." 

"Eight o'clock?" 

"That would be good." 

Elizabeth held out her hand and shook Daniel's. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson." 

Daniel left the office to begin the job that might ultimately give them weapons to defeat the Goa'uld. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Teal'c came forward to grasp the arm of the man who had just exited the Stargate. 

"Tek matte, Master Bra'tac." 

"Tek matte, Teal'c." The older Jaffa embraced him. "It is good to see you." 

"Indeed." 

"Has young Rya'c arrived yet?" 

"He arrived yesterday evening." 

The two men began walking toward the amphitheater on Albaren, two other Jaffa accompanying them at a slight distance. 

"How many are assembled to witness the ceremony?" Bra'tac asked. 

"Over one hundred are presently here." 

"That is good. This Ra'kon Akel will be unlike any other that has ever been performed. When the time comes for mine, I will follow in your footsteps, that is if there is any need. By then, the Goa'uld may truly be defeated. Word of Anubis' destruction has quickly spread among the Jaffa and given new life to the rebellion." 

"I am afraid that I have news of Anubis," Teal'c said. "He is not dead, as we had believed. He survived the destruction of his ship and managed to come down to Earth." 

Bra'tac stopped, looking at him in concern. "This is grave news. What threat does he pose to the Tau'ri?" 

"He poses no threat, not anymore. Thanks to Daniel Jackson and Major Carter, Anubis is now trapped upon a lifeless world with no means of escape." 

"Explain this to me." 

As they resumed walking, Teal'c told the Master Jaffa of the events that had occurred just a few days ago. Both of the other Jaffa who were walking with them were aware that Daniel was Dan'yar, so Teal'c knew that he could speak freely. 

Bra'tac was surprised and very pleased when he learned how Daniel had prevented himself from being made a host to Anubis and how he relentlessly pursued the Goa'uld throughout the SGC. 

"Ah, if I had only been there to witness that," he said. 

"And you would have been as amazed as I when you witnessed Daniel Jackson bring Major Carter back from the dead." 

Master Jaffa halted again. "Tell me more of this." 

Teal'c explained how Daniel had retained the ability to heal injuries in others and in himself, then told him about Anubis killing Sam and Daniel bringing her back to life. 

"She was truly dead?" asked one of the other Jaffa, who had been listening to the conversation. 

"Yes," Teal'c confirmed. "The Tau'ri have a device that shows the activity that is within a living brain. There was no such activity in Major Carter's brain. She was quite dead." 

The Jaffa shared a glance with the man beside him, their expression that of incredulousness. 

"I watched the Goa'uld bring many back from the dead, but, every time I saw it, I knew that it was their technology that made it possible," Bra'tac murmured in amazement. "Daniel Jackson has brought the dead back to life with only the power of his mind. If I were young and foolish and not so wise to the truth about false gods, I would begin to believe that he truly is a god." 

"Indeed, Bra'tac. During these months, I have seen Daniel Jackson's powers continue to grow. He has done things that I would have believed to be impossible. Yet, he remains the same man that he was before." 

"Which is a good thing for us all," Bra'tac said as they started walking again. "I can understand why the Tau'ri at your SGC feared so greatly when they believed Daniel Jackson was possessed by Anubis. Even with all my years of being a warrior, both fighting for and against the Goa'uld, I would fear facing Daniel Jackson in battle. I am deeply disappointed that I was not there to fight at his side when he defeated Baal." 

Teal'c smiled slightly. "It was a great battle, old friend. Your presence would have been welcome." 

Bra'tac smiled. "And to see Baal stripped naked and humiliated like that is a sight I would have cherished for the remainder of my life. I have spoken to more than one Jaffa who was there, and they laugh in delight when speaking of it." 

"It was a sight I will never forget." 

The two men fell silent for a short while. 

"We received your request for news of who this one is that controls Anubis' forces," the older Jaffa said. "I am afraid that we still do not know anything. Most of Anubis' Jaffa died in the battle over Earth. Many of those who were left fled and joined the rebellion when they learned of his defeat. The few that remain are completely loyal to him or to whomever it is that now commands them. We have been unable to learn who this one is. He continues to attack the other Goa'uld as Anubis did. The armies of Camulus are gone, and many other Goa'uld have suffered great defeats. If this continues, we may see an end to the Goa'uld at the hands of one of their own." 

"But we will be left with a single Goa'uld of great power." 

"Yes." Bra'tac looked at his former pupil. "But enough about this. Today is your day, my friend, and we must discuss the preparations for tonight." He smiled. "Have you decided what your pledge symbol will be for this Ra'kon Akel?" 

Teal'c smiled slightly. "I have, Master Bra'tac, one I believe quite fitting." 


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Daniel was in the office that had been set up for him, neck-deep in translations, when Jack came in.

"Busy?" he asked as he wandered around the room, looking at things.

"Need you ask?" Daniel studied the colonel. "Bored already?"

"Well, there's not much for me to do around here, you know."

"Should have brought the paperwork with you."

"I came here to _avoid_ doing the paperwork. Now, I'm beginning to think I should have stayed in Colorado and just suffered through it."

"I'm sure that Doctor Weir could find something for you to do."

"Yeah, like digging holes in the ice." Jack picked up some kind of gadget. "I was going to go get some lunch. Care to join me? Maybe we can drag Carter away from her toys and come, too."

Daniel was tempted to refuse, but his stomach had been making noises for the past hour. "Sure. Let's get Sam."

The two men found her with McKay, bent over some device and arguing about what it was. Sam's face lit up as she saw Daniel, something that McKay did not fail to notice, which succeeded in heightening his jealously.

"Hey, Carter," Jack said. "We're going to get something to eat. Take a break and come with us."

"I really shouldn't, sir. There is so much to do."

"Come on, Sam. If I can drag myself away from my mountain of work, so can you," Daniel told her, smiling.

Unable to say no to that smile, Sam said okay.

They all moved toward the door, but Daniel halted and turned around to look at McKay. "Oh, by the way, Sam's right about what that thing is. It is a power regulator."

McKay glared at him. "And how would you know?"

"I had the entire knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into my brain, Doctor McKay. Sometimes, things leak back into my conscious mind. If I had access to it all, I could build everything that's in this outpost, including the Stargate that used to be here before we took it."

Leaving McKay to think about that, Daniel left with his teammates.

"Thank you," Sam said to him. "He kept insisting that he was right and I was wrong. Nothing's changed from the last time we worked together. That time, he almost got us all killed. This time, he's just being a big pain in the butt. At least he hasn't made any passes at me. Actually, he sometimes acts like he's sulking."

Daniel smiled. "I told you, Sam. He's mourning the loss of his dream about being with you."

"Fantasy, you mean. It would never have happened."

"McKay has the hots for you?" Jack asked. "The guy's an ass."

"Agreed, sir."

The three left the outpost and went to the building housing the personnel quarters. They got themselves some lunch and sat at a table. As they ate, Daniel told them about what he'd found out from Doctor Weir.

"So, they're already making preparations for the expedition to Atlantis?" Sam questioned.

"Yes. They have been for several weeks now, ever since we found this place."

"No, you are _not_ going!" Jack said firmly, glaring at Daniel. "I don't care how much you beg and plead, I'm not letting you go to Atlantis."

The archeologist decided to have a little fun with him. "But Jaaack," he responded plaintively.

"No. I don't wanna hear it. Nothing you say is going to change my mind."

"It's General Hammond's decision, not yours."

Jack glowered at him. "Daniel, I'm not kidding you. Don't you go asking Hammond for permission to go. If you do, while you're in Atlantis, I'll turn your place into a halfway house for homeless ex-cons or something. I swear I will."

Daniel just looked at him. The colonel saw a tiny spark of humor in the younger man's eyes.

"You never had any intention of asking to go, did you," he guessed.

The corners of Daniel's lips turned up. "Nope."

"You were just yanking my chain."

Daniel's smile got a wee bit bigger. "I liked the homeless ex-cons threat." He was rewarded with a glare from Jack.

"I _will_ get even, Daniel."

"I'm sure you will."

They returned their attention to the food.

"How come?" Jack asked after a couple of minutes.

Realizing what Jack was asking, Daniel replied. "Because my place is here, Jack, fighting against the Goa'uld." He looked at the woman he loved. "And being with Sam."

She took his hand, smiling at him.

The teammates finished their lunch and returned to the outpost. As Sam went back to her work--and dealing with Rodney McKay--Jack walked with Daniel toward his office. As they passed by the control chair, Jack stopped to look at it.

"I missed all the excitement when you sat in this again, but I sure did hear about it," he said. "Also found out about that whole gene thing."

"Want to try it out?" Daniel asked, already knowing the answer.

"No thanks. I'll pass."

They went the rest of the way to Daniel's office.

"So, what are you going to be up to today?" Jack asked.

"As soon as I finish these translations, I'll be meeting with my staff."

"Your staff?"

"Uh huh. Doctor Weir has assigned a team to work with me to try and find Atlantis. It's going to be quite a job. There is so much information here that it could take months to go through it all."

"You're not staying here that long," Jack stated firmly. "Though it's sometimes easy to forget these days, we _are_ an SG team, which means that we're _supposed_ to be going through the gate on missions."

"I know that, Jack. Don't worry. I have no desire to stay here that long."

"So . . . you're going to be pretty busy, huh."

"Yes, very, very busy."

Resigned to boredom, Jack said, "I guess I'll see you later, then."

Feeling kind of sorry for him, Daniel thought of something. "Hey, you might want to ask Doctor Weir if you can help out with some of the Ancient technology. From what I understand, some of it won't work for people who don't have the gene, and there are only a few people here who have it, not counting you." Seeing the look on Jack's face, he added, "Or you could go back to your room and count the knots in the plywood walls."

"I'll talk to Weir," Jack decided and left.

Smiling slightly, Daniel got back to work. As soon as he finished the translations he was working on and got them to the people who'd been waiting for them, he went in search of and found the four people who would comprise his team. The two men and two women had varying backgrounds and training. The only thing they all had in common was that they could read, write and speak the Ancient language, though not with the fluency that Daniel could. Of them all Sandra Kensing, a pretty African American woman in her late twenties, had the greatest skill with the language, though Edward Chen, a slender Asian man of thirty-two, wasn't far behind her . . . although hearing Ancient spoken with a Chinese accent was more than a little odd.

Once introductions had been made and Daniel got to know each of his staff a little better, they got to work on the task of finding out where Atlantis was. Daniel learned that the team had actually been working on finding Atlantis since just a few days after the outpost was discovered, before all the scientists were forced to leave the outpost because of the disagreements going on between the individual nations involved in the program. Before leaving the outpost, they had taken with them as much data and records as they could so that they could continue their work while waiting for permission to return. They admitted to Daniel that they hadn't made much headway in finding the lost city of the Ancients.

Every one of the four people had heard about Daniel and knew that he was supposed to be quite brilliant. They were not prepared, however, for the archeologist's astronomical leaps of logic. At first, whenever Daniel came up with some idea that seemed to have no evidence to support it, some of them were skeptical, but when his ideas kept leading them in directions that proved to be right, they lost their skepticism. In the end, they just watched in amazement as Daniel somehow figured things out that none of the rest of them could see. By the end of the day, the four people were in utter awe of him.

At dinnertime, Daniel told his staff to go get something to eat and relax for the rest of the evening, telling them that he was pleased with how far they'd gotten today. The four people didn't say that the "we" Daniel used wasn't really accurate since most of the progress was thanks solely to him.

Daniel had been working by himself for about half an hour when Rodney McKay came in.

"I need a translation," he said rather stiffly, placing a laptop on the worktable. The linguist did the translation without comment, writing it down on a piece of paper.

"Here you go."

McKay took it and the laptop. "Thank you," he said curtly. Then he left.

A few seconds later, Jack came in. "I see that someone is being an even bigger ass than he was before."

Daniel shrugged. "He's jealous and angry, Jack. I can understand how he feels. I remember how I felt when I found out about Pete."

"No, there's more to it than that. Something else is bugging him."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure he'll get over it. I rarely have to deal with him anyway. Sam's the one who has to put up with him constantly." Daniel smiled. "I'd say she's going to be needing a neck massage tonight."

"And I'm sure you'll be happy to give her one."

Jack sat down and began toying with something on the worktable.

"So, did Doctor Weir put you to work?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, I spent the day running back and forth, touching this thing and that and thinking very hard about turning it on. All _very_ exciting, definitely a chapter for my memoirs."

Hearing the heavy sarcasm, Daniel said, "Well, maybe you should consider going back home."

"Been thinkin' about it," Jack admitted. "There's a supply helicopter that comes in from McMurdo once a week. I could catch a ride on it, then beg Hammond to send a plane to pick me up from McMurdo. So, how long do you think _you'll_ be here?"

"I have no idea, Jack. We only got here today. We made some good progress in finding Atlantis, but it's still going to take a while, and then there's all the translations they need help with."

"So, you just about done for the day?"

"I'm going to keep at it for a while longer."

Jack got to his feet. "Just don't stay all night. Carter'll be lonely without you, that is unless she works all night, too."

"Have no fear, Jack. There won't be any all-nighters tonight. I'm still adjusting to the time zone." He glanced at his watch. "Right now, it's nearly 2 a.m. in Colorado."

"So? If you were in Colorado, you'd probably still be working."

"You do have a point," Daniel admitted. "See you later, Jack."

The archeologist put in another hour, then went in search of Sam. He found her hard at work on a complex looking device that Daniel couldn't give her any information on. He dragged her away from her work, and the two of them headed up to the surface. They discovered that the commissary also acted as the place where off-duty personnel hung out and, after dinner, spent some time getting acquainted with a few people.

It was going on ten o'clock when the time zone difference suddenly caught up with Sam, and she decided to go to bed. Daniel had gotten into a conversation with one of the other linguists and told her that he'd be there in a little while.

Sam had been in their quarters for perhaps ten minutes when there was a knock on one of the doors. She answered it to find McKay on the other side.

"Hi. I wasn't sure which room was yours," he said. "I must have guessed right. I wanted to discuss those last test results with you."

"It's late, Rodney. It can wait till morning."

"Actually, I'm going back over there. I don't need much sleep."

Sam sighed and let him in. McKay stopped when he saw what had been done to the room. He looked into the other room and saw the twin beds pushed up next to each other. It really drove home to him that Sam and Daniel Jackson were lovers.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but I just have to know." McKay turned to her. "Why him?"

Sam frowned at the tone of his voice. "Excuse me?"

"You are the most brilliant woman I have ever met, a true artist of the scientific world. He's . . . an archeologist. Don't get me wrong. I know he's intelligent, but he's not even close to being in your league."

Sam shot right past "irritated" and went straight to "totally pissed off". "You don't know what the hell you're talking about," she said angrily. "Daniel is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met. He can speak over thirty languages and can read and write dozens of dead ones. Don't you have any idea of the significance of that? And then there's the staggering amount of knowledge he has of archeology, anthropology and the history of languages. He has three Ph.D's, all of which he earned by the time he reached his mid-twenties. But that's not even half of it. Daniel is capable of these . . . these enormous leaps of logic that, many times, have left me in the dust. He doesn't think linearly. When everyone else is still on A and B, he's jumped completely over the rest of the alphabet and reached Z. He's the kind of person who can think outside the box with ease, and, quite often, he's out there all by himself." She glared at him. "If he'd gone into our fields of science, if that's where his talents lie, he'd make you look like an idiot."

Before McKay could say anything in reply, Daniel came hurrying in. "Sam? Are you okay?" He then subjected McKay to a glare that made the man hastily back up a step.

"Yes, Daniel. I'm okay," Sam assured him. "Doctor McKay and I just got into a little disagreement."

"I'd say it was more than little." Daniel had sensed Sam's fury and come running. He turned back to the other scientist. "I would suggest that you leave. Now."

McKay didn't have to be told twice. He exited the room, pausing when he saw Jack leaning against the wall a few yards away. Slowly, he approached the colonel.

"You know, for an intelligent man, you really are stupid," Jack drawled. "Pissing Daniel off is not a wise move, and pissing Carter off is a surefire way of getting on Daniel's bad side. And trust me. You do _not_ want to be on his bad side. Very unpleasant things can happen. I've seen it firsthand."

"He's an archeologist!" McKay objected.

Jack studied him. "You don't know, do you."

"Know what?"

The colonel shook his head a little. "Just mark my words. If you get Daniel mad enough, you _will_ be sorry."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel rubbed Sam's arm. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. He just said something that really made me mad."

"I know. I could feel it." He smiled. "It's a good thing you can't control fire. McKay would have been toast, _literally_."

Sam laughed a little. She hugged Daniel around the waist.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"No. Let's just go to bed. I'm tired."

After using the bathroom down the hall, the couple got dressed for bed. As Daniel had suspected, the muscles in Sam's neck were tight from stress. He gave her a long massage, then snuggled under the covers with her.

"Have I ever told you how much I admire and appreciate you?" Sam asked in the darkness.

"Yes, you have. Why are you asking? Has this got something to do with whatever it was that McKay said to tick you off?" Sam didn't reply, her silence telling him that he was right. "Do you want me to have a talk with him?"

"No. It'll be all right. If the subject comes up again. I'll deal with it."

The next morning, when Sam met with McKay, she gave him the cold shoulder. In fact, the temperature outside felt warmer than it did in the room. After twenty minutes of feeling like he needed to put his coat back on, The Canadian scientist finally decided to say something.

"Okay, so maybe I was out of line last night. I just never pictured a woman like you being interested in a guy like Jackson."

"And what kind of guy have you pictured me with?" Sam asked in irritation. "Someone like you?"

McKay started to get flustered. "Uh . . . well, I um. . . ."

"You want to know why I'm with Daniel?" Sam asked. "It's because of a heck of a lot more than his mind. Contrary to what you might think, brains aren't everything. Daniel is the most compassionate, courageous, _beautiful_ person I have ever known. No, he's not perfect. I wouldn't want him to be. But he _is_ perfect for me. We fit so well together. We always have, even before we became a couple. He is my best friend, has been almost from the very beginning. He changed my life, changed _me_. He made me see what really matters, what's really important, and I will always be grateful to him for that. He is my rock, the person I turn to when life gets hard. And I love him more than you could ever understand."

McKay didn't know what to say in response to that, so he chose to say nothing, returning his attention to work.

After Sam left a while later, McKay's thoughts returned to her and the man who was her lover. Despite what she had said, he was still bugged by it. He had always pictured Sam to be a woman who could only be happy with someone who shared her interests, a fellow scientist, the _hard_ sciences, not the soft sciences that Jackson was an expert in.

McKay admitted, though, that he didn't really know Daniel Jackson. They'd never met before yesterday, and he'd never seen the archeologist and Sam interact with each other as colleagues. He _had_ been hearing things about the man, though, especially lately. He didn't know the whole reason why, but Daniel Jackson had become the golden boy of the Stargate Program. Every time McKay turned around, someone was talking about him. Apparently, he had saved a lot of lives several times in the past few months and had also been directly responsible for the capture of two Goa'uld. McKay had heard something about Jackson having some kind of special ability. He had been tempted to find out what everyone was talking about, but the truth was that he was jealous of the praise and attention the archeologist was getting, so he'd tried to ignore it. The problem was that he couldn't ignore that Jackson had succeeded in getting the most mentally stimulating woman McKay had ever met, a woman he had to admit that he felt more for than he should.

But McKay was used to not "getting the girl", at least not any girl he really wanted. In school, it was always the jocks who got the pretty girls. Jackson wasn't a jock, but he almost looked like one with that strong, muscular build of his. McKay had never thought that Sam would be shallow enough to be interested in a guy just because of his looks. He thought about it some more, though, and realized that she actually hadn't said one word about the archeologist's physical appearance as she was listing off his admirable qualities. So, what about the things she _did_ say?

McKay started comparing himself to the qualities Sam said the archeologist possessed. Okay, so no one would call _him_ a compassionate man, but he wasn't uncaring. As for courage, he might not be especially brave, but he wasn't a coward. He'd done some brave things . . . sort of. Nobody would call him beautiful, regardless of whether they were speaking of beauty on the inside or the outside, and he didn't think that anyone who knew him could say that he changed them for the better. He wasn't anyone's "rock".

But, when it came to brains, he had it all over the archeologist. The guy wouldn't stand a chance against him in a battle of intelligence. And that's what really mattered, wasn't it. Brains might not be everything, but it _was_ the most important thing, and the more brains you had, the better you were. So, in that way, he was way better than Daniel Jackson. Too bad Sam didn't agree.

--------------------------------------------------

That day was a busy one for Daniel and his team. They made tremendous strides in finding out where Atlantis was, getting a lot closer than Daniel or any of the others had ever anticipated.

At noon, the team broke for lunch. Approaching the elevator that would take them to the surface, Sandra and Edward were deep in conversation, paying little attention to Rodney McKay, who was also getting on the elevator.

"I do not understand how he could have figured that out," Edward said as he pressed the button to take them up. "Even after he explained it to us, and we saw that he was right, I still do not know how he saw it."

Sandra nodded. "I know what you mean. He figured it out from, what, three words in a sentence? I read that sentence at least a dozen times during these past few weeks, and I didn't see what he saw in three seconds. It's totally amazing."

McKay's curiosity got the better of him. "What are you talking about?"

The two scientists turned to him. "Oh, hello, Doctor McKay," Sandra greeted. "We're talking about Doctor Jackson. We've been working on trying to find Atlantis, and the man is phenomenal! He's got to be, like, the smartest guy on the planet, or pretty close to it. He'd blow you away if you could see him at work."

The comment instantly soured McKay's mood, and he said nothing further to the two people. When they got to the surface, he changed his mind about getting lunch and went back down, feeling the need to make some brilliant discovery. He passed by the room that had been set up as a lab for Sam, but he did no more than glance inside.

Sam saw him pass by, but did not acknowledge is presence. She was afraid that, if she talked to him or even looked at him, he'd come in. Though outwardly appearing to have gotten over his attitude toward her relationship with Daniel, McKay was still a pain in the butt. His air of conceit in regards to his skills and intelligence was extremely irritating and the main reason why she could never really have found him attractive.

Back when she and McKay worked together to try to stop Anubis from destroying the Stargate, she had come to see a different side of him, one that actually made her like him a little bit. But she wasn't seeing that side now, and her dislike of him was back full force. Of course, it might also have to do with the fact that he'd insulted Daniel, which firmly put him on her bad side.

It was a couple of hours after lunch when, thanks to some clues Daniel had put together, he and his team found a gate address.

"Is that it?" asked Huge Thatcher, a plump, forty-year-old British man. "Is that the address for Atlantis?"

"I'm not sure, but, yes, I think it might be," Daniel replied.

"Then we did it," Sandra said excitedly. She looked at Daniel. "We could never have gotten this far without you."

"Oh, I think you could have," he responded. "You guys were heading in the right direction. You'd have found this without my help."

"Not as quickly," Edward said. "You probably took weeks off our search, maybe even months."

"Well, let's not get too excited. We don't know for sure if this is the right address."

"Could we ask Stargate Command to try it?" asked Carlotta Davis, a very tall, thin woman from Boston.

Daniel glanced at his watch. "It's nearly 10 p.m. over there. We can call them in the morning. In the meantime, we should keep at it. We might find something more."

The team decided to work through dinner. Huge and Carlotta went to the commissary and got food for everyone, which they all ate in Daniel's office as they continued pouring over the Ancient records.

It was well after eleven when they made another discovery. Everyone gazed at the symbol for Earth.

"Okay, that makes sense," Sandra said. "Earth is the point of origin. This would be the seventh symbol for the address to Atlantis."

"Yes, except that the translation of these words doesn't make sense in that context," Daniel pointed out. He shook his head. "We're missing something." He looked around at the tired faces. "We should all get some sleep. Our minds will be fresher in the morning."

Saying good night to his team, Daniel went looking for Sam, whom he knew was probably also still working. Finding her in her lab, he convinced her that she should call it a night, and the couple went up to the surface. As they passed the commissary, they saw Jack sitting at one of the tables and decided to say hi.

"I was beginning to think you two were going to put in an all-nighter," the colonel said.

"No, we both want to get an early start in the morning," Daniel told him. "So, what have you been up to today?"

Jack regaled them with tales from his job as "Ancient thingamajig power-upper". Despite his sarcasm, the two scientists could tell that the colonel thought it was kind of cool that he could do something the majority of the population couldn't. It turned out that Jack had a greater aptitude for making the Ancient technology operational than anyone else at the outpost, with the exception of Daniel. That fact briefly put a smile of pride on his face.

As they lay in each other's arms that night, Daniel told Sam about the progress he and his team were making.

"We found a gate address, Sam. We think it might be the one to Atlantis."

Sam rose up on her elbow and looked down at him. "Wow. That's fantastic, Daniel." Sam smiled at him. "I knew you could do it." A moment later, her smiled faded as she searched his eyes intently. "Daniel, if we were able to defeat the Goa'uld, if they were no longer a threat, would you want to go to Atlantis?"

"Yes, of course I would. Finding out all I can about the Ancients has been sort of like the Holy Grail for me. There's so much that I want to know about their culture, their beliefs, their way of life. The biggest question of all is how they discovered the secret of ascension." He looked up into her eyes. "But if I had to choose between going to Atlantis or being with you, I would choose you. I wouldn't be happy there if you couldn't be with me."

Sam brought her lips to his in a slow deep kiss. She then lay her head on his chest. "Maybe we can both go there someday."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Rodney McKay stared at the work one of the scientists had done or, rather, the lack thereof. 

"Why isn't this done? I told you that I wanted it done by this morning." 

"I'd have had to stay up most of the night to get it finished by this morning," Doctor Kraft explained. "I was really tired, so I went to bed." 

"Oh. Well, forgive me for thinking that finishing this project, which is vital to what I'm working on, which, in turn, is needed for half a dozen other projects here, was more important than your beauty sleep," McKay said with biting sarcasm. 

"Doctor McKay, I've been working eighteen to twenty hours a day since we got here." 

"So? So have I. Yet I somehow still manage to do everything I'm supposed to." 

"Maybe because you're not human," Kraft muttered. 

"Excuse me?" 

Saying nothing, Kraft walked away across the room and sat at his computer. 

"All right, just get the job done, okay? Or is it too much for you to handle." 

"I'll do it." 

"Fine." 

McKay turned and was heading for the door when something slapped him in the back of the head hard enough to make him stumble. Rubbing his head, he spun back around. 

"Did you just hit me?" 

Kraft turned to look at him. "What?" 

"You just hit me!" McKay exclaimed, outraged. 

"How could I hit you from clear over here?" 

"Then you threw something at me." McKay's eyes scanned the floor, looking for something that could have been used to hit him. The floor was spotless, not a thing on it. 

Kraft turned back to his computer. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't throw anything at you," he lowered his voice, "as much as I may have wanted to." 

A little yelp made him look at the Canadian again. The man was rubbing his behind, staring through the open door. 

"Somebody just slapped me in the butt . . . really hard." He winced. "It still hurts." 

_'Maybe a good spanking is what he needs,'_ Kraft thought to himself. "Sorry, Doctor McKay. I have no idea who slapped your butt or who would even want to, except maybe your mother." 

McKay gave him a humorless smile. "Oh, very funny. No, really. I'm laughing uproariously here." 

Still rubbing his posterior, McKay left, muttering to himself. Unseen by him, someone stepped out from behind a piece of equipment. 

Daniel smiled slightly, thinking about following McKay and letting "Casper" have a bit more fun with him. But he needed to get to work, too. He'd been on his way to his office when he overheard the Canadian scientist unfairly chastising Doctor Kraft and decided to do something about it. 

Wondering if Rodney McKay believed in ghosts, Daniel resumed the journey to his office. This morning, they were going to call the SGC and have them try the gate address. Daniel had decided to hold off on doing that until his team was there so that they'd all find out together if the address worked. 

In his office, Daniel got busy examining some more data retrieved from the outpost's computers. A while later, shortly before he was due to give the next Ancient language lesson, he found something that had him sitting straight up in his chair, his heart rate rising as, all at once, all the pieces fit into place. 

"That's it," he murmured. 

Excitedly, Daniel jumped to his feet and went in search of Doctor Weir and Sam. As luck would have it, he found both of them in McKay's lab with the Canadian. 

Sam immediately recognized the expression on Daniel's face. 

"You found something." 

"Yes," he confirmed, smiling. 

All three of them went with Daniel back to his office. He walked over to the whiteboard. "Over the last two days, we've gotten closer and closer to finding the location of the Lost City, but it turns out we've been looking in the wrong place all along." He gestured at the whiteboard, which had the six gate address symbols marked on it. "Now, we thought we had a Stargate address, six symbols representing coordinates in space that determine the location of the planet the Ancients went to after they left Antarctica. Last night, we determined a seventh symbol." He drew Earth's symbol on the board. 

"The point of origin. Earth," Elizabeth said. 

"That's not it." 

"Then your address must be incorrect," McKay stated. So much for the infallible Doctor Daniel Jackson. 

"Not incorrect . . . incomplete." Daniel drew another symbol. 

"What are you saying, Doctor Jackson?" Weir asked. 

"It's an eight symbol address. What we're looking for may be further away than we ever imagined. But it's not out of reach." 

McKay stared at the address. "Atlantis." 

Daniel gave a nod. "Atlantis. I think we can go there." He looked at them one by one. "But this isn't all that I learned. I had determined that the Ancients originally left Earth between five and ten million years ago, which fits in with what we already knew. But when I found the eighth symbol, I also discovered something else. The Ancients didn't just leave Earth, they left with their city." 

"What do you mean?" McKay asked. 

"Their city, Atlantis, was also a spaceship." 

"You're joking." 

"No, I am certain that I'm right. On the Nox world, we saw an entire city floating thousands of feet above the ground, so is it all that impossible to believe that the Ancients, a highly advanced civilization, could have a cityship? Anubis' mothership was enormous, equally as large as a small city, if you totaled up the cubic feet." 

"You're right," Sam said. "There's no reason why it couldn't be done." 

Elizabeth smiled brightly. "Excellent work, Doctor Jackson. I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to find Atlantis this quickly. We're not prepared to get this expedition underway quite yet. But in another week or two, we just might be ready to go." 

"Daniel, if Atlantis is in another galaxy, we're going to need an extra power source to dial the gate," Sam said. 

"I know, and the only one we have is the module that powers this outpost." 

"But, if we use that module, it could completely drain it, and we'll no longer have the power to operate the weapon." 

"I think it's worth the risk, Sam. There's a good chance that there are more . . ." Daniel looked at McKay. "You called it a ZPM, right?" 

"Yes, zero point module. I determined that it generates its power from vacuum energy derived from a self-contained region of subspace time." 

"Yes, that's what Sam told me. There is a good chance that there are more ZPM's in Atlantis, and who knows what other technology that we could really use. This outpost is a fantastic find, but it's nothing compared to the Lost City of the Ancients." 

"Okay, I want to be sure I understand this," Elizabeth said. "It's possible that using the ZPM to dial this address will completely deplete it?" 

"Yes," Sam confirmed, "which means that this would be a one-time deal." 

"And anyone who goes to Atlantis could be stuck there, if there are no ZPM's there," McKay added. 

Doctor Weir nodded once. "All right. We need to contact General Hammond. He will have to get approval from the president for this. I'll go make the call now." She looked at Daniel. "Oh, and I'd say that today's language lesson will have to be postponed." 

"Right. I'd better go tell everyone." 

Elizabeth and Daniel left, leaving Sam and McKay alone in the office. 

"Two days," the Canadian murmured. 

Sam turned to him. "What?" 

"He figured it out in two days." 

Sam smiled slightly. "Yes, he did." 

McKay stared at her. "You don't look the least bit surprised." 

"That's because I'm not. Daniel does stuff like this all the time. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd done it in _one_ day. When the colonel interfaced with the Ancient repository over five years ago, he read an inscription in the Ancients' language, which Daniel translated as saying 'We are the Ancients'. That one thing led him to guess that the Ancients referred to in the inscription were the Ancient Ones spoken of by the Romans, the ones they claimed taught them about building roads. From _that_, he determined that it was the Ancients who built the Stargates." 

"Just from that?" McKay questioned, shocked. 

"Yes, just from that. Nobody believed him because he had no real evidence to support it. Yet he was right. And here's another one for you. Back when the rogue element of the NID was stealing advanced technology from other planets, two of its members, Colonel Grieves and Lieutenant Kershaw, took apart a weapon called the Sentinel on P3Y-294 so that they could see how it worked. They put it back together, but there was a problem. During the operation, Grieves killed a man called the Caretaker, and, without the Caretaker, the weapon wouldn't work. The Sentinel had been protecting the people on the planet for three hundred years. Without it, they were defenseless when the Goa'uld showed up. The Sentinel is protected by a force field, and the code to shut it off uses a mathematical progression of the harmonics between the tones being emitted in each of over a hundred randomly changing patterns, relative to its spectral equivalent. It had taken Grieves and Kershaw over two days to deactivate the force field. Daniel did it in less than an hour." Sam almost smiled at the look of stunned amazement on McKay's face. 

"An hour?!" he exclaimed. 

"Uh huh, and he did it using just his brain and his sense of hearing." 

"Okay, that's, uh . . . kind of impressive," McKay said, knowing that he'd never have been able to do the same. 

"Those are just two examples," Sam told him. "And I didn't even mention the one that started it all. Do you know the circumstances behind Daniel figuring out the Stargate?" 

"I know that he was the one who found the seventh symbol and figured out that the symbols were constellations used to chart a location in space. I heard he did it in two weeks." 

Sam nodded. "After everyone else had been trying to figure it out for two years. Did you also know that he figured all that out when he didn't even know that the Stargate existed?" 

McKay gaped at her. "He didn't know about the Stargate?" 

"No! He had no clue. Information about the Stargate had been made classified, and Daniel, being the new guy, wasn't given access to the information. All he was ever allowed to see was the coverstone. Heck, if he'd known about the Stargate and what we suspected it was, he'd probably have figured the whole thing out in a day, maybe less. It was Daniel who came up with the answer that stellar drift was the reason we hadn't been able to connect with any other Stargates . . . and he didn't know about stellar drift either!" 

"I didn't know any of this," McKay said in a slightly subdued voice. 

"Daniel is the most intuitive person, the most out-of-the-box thinker I've ever known. He taught me to think outside the box, to trust those little leaps of logic I sometimes have, when, before, I'd have wanted to connect all the dots, to find the evidence, and facts, and figures to support my theory. Yet, even though I've come to trust and use that side of my intellect now, I will _never_ equal him in that regard. I'd give a lot if I could." 

_'So would I,'_ McKay said silently. "I, um . . . I guess I owe you an apology." 

Sam shook her head. "It's not me you owe the apology, it's Daniel." 

McKay grimaced. "I suppose you told him all about what I said before." 

"No." 

The Canadian stared at her in surprise. "You didn't?" 

"I figured that he didn't need to know. It wouldn't have surprised him, though. Daniel's used to being underestimated. Actually, that's not quite right. It's not that he's accustomed to people underestimating his intelligence, it's more a case of . . . of accepting that, sometimes, he's all alone in seeing something." 

"And it doesn't bother him when people don't see that he's that smart?" McKay knew that he couldn't stand it if it was that way for him. 

"Well, there have been a couple of times that he got a little frustrated by everyone else's inability to see what he could, but I really don't think he has an ego in regards to his intelligence. He values it, but only because it allows him to gain the knowledge that's so important to him. For Daniel, it's all about knowledge, about learning, the quest to know all that he possibly can about the things that he's passionate about." 

McKay was silent. Looking at Sam and thinking of everything he'd just learned, he finally accepted that Daniel Jackson was truly worthy of her. He didn't want to accept it. He wanted to keep that air of superiority and the belief that he was a better match for her. But he couldn't do that anymore. Jackson really did deserve to have a woman as brilliant and fantastic as Sam. 

As McKay had that thought, he suddenly realized that, in a way, it made him feel good. Sam had someone who was a good match for her and made her happy. He would always wish that someone was him, but, since it couldn't be, he was glad that she'd found it with somebody. 

McKay left to go back to work. They might know where Atlantis was, but they weren't ready to go there yet, and, until they did go, there were still things to do here. 

A little while later, the Canadian spotted Daniel talking to Doctor Beckett. He waited until the doctor left, then approached the archeologist. The man met his eyes a little warily. 

"Thank you," McKay said. 

Daniel blinked in surprise. "Uhhh . . . you're welcome. What's, um, the thank you for? Figuring out where Atlantis is? There's no need to--" 

"For making her happy," McKay interrupted. "For . . . for giving her something that I probably never could." 

Daniel simply nodded, giving him a small, gentle smile that held no gloating, no triumph, just understanding and compassion. 

McKay turned and walked away, feeling better about himself as a person than he had in a long time. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Doctor Weir received a call back from General Hammond later that day. The general told them that he would be flying out to the outpost to discuss things personally, but that, before he could leave, he needed Jack back at the SGC to assume temporary command. A plane would be leaving for Antarctica tomorrow to pick Jack up, who would be catching that ride back to McMurdo on the supply helicopter the following day. 

"You've got this whole place buzzing, Daniel," Jack said in the archeologist's office. "Everybody's hopping up and down like a bunch of kids whose parents told them they're going to Disneyland." 

"It's an exciting discovery, Jack. After more than a year of searching, we've finally found the Lost City of the Ancients. Just think of all the knowledge we could gain, not to mention the potential technology. There might even still be unascended Ancients living there." 

"Has anyone considered that this Lost City might no longer exist?" 

"Yes, that is a possibility, but we're all hoping that's not the case." 

"And has anyone realized that, with the power it's going to take to get there, it might max out that power module thing, making this trip a one-way ticket?" 

"Yes, Doctor Weir knows that, but I'm willing to bet that she and a lot of the other people here are willing to go to Atlantis even if they would be stranded there. But we're hoping that there will be another ZPM in the city, perhaps more. If all else fails, we could ask the Asgard to go there." 

"To the flying city." 

"Yes." Daniel saw the older man smirk. "What?" 

"_Flying_ city." 

Daniel shrugged slightly. "Well, keeping in mind this is the race who built the Stargates. They did everything big." 

"So why'd they leave?" 

"Why'd they leave? Uh, who knows? We know the Ancients who stayed on Earth were suffering from a plague. Maybe some of them wanted to start over, seek out new life in a new galaxy. Maybe that's what Ancients do. The point is we know where they went." 

Jack studied the archeologist closely. "Admit it, Daniel. There's a big part of you that's just aching to go." 

"Of course there is, Jack. I talked about this with Sam last night. If the Goa'uld were no longer a threat, and if Sam could go, too, I'd be pretty tempted to ask General Hammond for permission to go." 

"Even if it meant that you'd never see Earth or anyone here again?" 

There was a long silence before Daniel answered. "If I knew that it really was a one-way ticket, I . . . I don't know. Finding and seeing the Lost City has been like a dream for me, Jack, but . . . but I'd miss the people here," he met Jack's eyes, "especially some." 

Jack looked right back into his eyes without wavering. "We'd miss you, too, Daniel, both of you." 

The archeologist's gaze left his and looked over at the whiteboard with the gate address for Atlantis. "But this is all just talk. I won't be going there, at least not for the foreseeable future." 

"Oh, I don't know about that, Daniel. You never know what the future will bring." 

Daniel turned back to him. "What happened to all that stuff about turning my place into a halfway house for homeless ex-cons if I went to Atlantis?" 

"Well . . . that was just if you were going to be gone for months. If it was just a short visit, a couple of weeks or so, that would be okay. We could manage without you for that long." 

Daniel smiled slightly. "A couple of weeks or so, huh?" 

"Three weeks, tops." 

Daniel's smile widened. "I'll keep that in mind." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

By the end of the day, it had been determined that the gate address to Atlantis went to the Pegasus galaxy. The discovery of the city's location had energized everyone, but it also gave them a tough decision to make. Because of the chance that this would be a one-way trip, every one of them had to decide if they were willing to leave their family and friends forever. When Doctor Weir began choosing personnel for the Atlantis expedition, she limited it to people who were unmarried and had no children in their care, knowing that, wherever Atlantis was, the team would most likely be living there on permanent assignment, perhaps for years. Even so, now that they knew there was a good chance that they'd never go home, every member of the team had to think long and hard about whether or not they wanted to go. 

Out of all the people in the expedition, the ones that Weir worried the most about backing out were the twelve people who had the Ancient gene. Fortunately, she knew that all of them were very committed to the project. _Unfortunately_, every one of them would need extensive training to gain proficiency with the Ancient technology. Elizabeth sincerely wished that Daniel was coming with them. He could control the chair with great ease and could probably do likewise with any other Ancient technology. Jack, too, was better at controlling the Ancient devices than the others, but, obviously, he couldn't go either. 

There was one person they hadn't tested yet, however. Doctor Beckett kept refusing to sit in the control chair, which seemed pretty strange considering that he was the one who discovered the Ancient gene. 

Now that Atlantis had been found, Daniel devoted all of his attention to doing translations, gathering as much information about the Ancients and Atlantis as he could and teaching people how to speak, read and write Ancient with greater proficiency. He'd found that Elizabeth already had a very good grasp of the language, both written and spoken. With Daniel's help, McKay started working on a translation program that would help them tremendously once they got to Atlantis. 

The Canadian's attitude toward the archeologist had changed a lot. For some reason, Daniel seemed to have earned McKay's respect, both as a man and as a scientist. He asked Sam about it, but all she said was that McKay had come to realize some things that changed his viewpoint. 

Tuesday morning, the supply helicopter arrived. Jack and Daniel watched as the supplies were unloaded. 

"So, you and Carter will be coming home with General Hammond, right?" Jack asked. 

"That all depends. If the general and the president give the expedition a green light, Sam and I will stay to help pack everything up. The general's coming on the weekend, right?" 

"Yes. It's the earliest he could manage to get away." 

"So, you'll be running things at the SGC for at least a couple of days." 

"Yep. It's not like I haven't done it before. Remember that time he took the four-day leave?" 

"How could I forget?" Daniel looked at Jack. "You do realize, though, that he made sure that not a lot of paperwork came through during that time. He didn't want you to get overwhelmed." 

"For which I will be eternally grateful. I hope the same is true this time as well. I've got enough of my own paperwork to deal with." 

The last of the supplies were unloaded, and the pilot put the bag of letters to be mailed on the helicopter. 

"Well, I guess it's time for me to leave this lovely vacation paradise," Jack said. He turned to Daniel. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone. You know, like finding another repository." 

"Don't worry, Jack. I intend to stay far away from those things in the future." 

Daniel watched at Jack got on the helicopter, and it took off. Then he went back down into the outpost to continue learning about the city that he might never see. 


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

The remainder of the week passed quickly, with everyone hard at work preparing for the expedition they were all hoping would be approved. They were notified Sunday morning--Antarctica time--that Hammond had arrived in McMurdo and would be at the outpost shortly after noon.

A few minutes before the general was due to arrive, Daniel and Sam went up to the surface to greet him. Meanwhile, down in the room with the control chair, Rodney McKay was dealing with a recalcitrant Doctor Beckett. So far, McKay had managed to get the physician to sit in the chair only once, and Beckett had stayed seated for all of two or three seconds before getting up and leaving. The Scotsman had stated that he could sit in the chair "all bloody day long", and nothing would happen.

Though it was totally incomprehensible to McKay, Beckett had expressed the wish that he didn't have the gene that the Ancient technology responded to. McKay couldn't count the times that he wished _he_ had it. It seemed totally unfair that he of all people, someone who could really make use of the gene, hadn't been born with it.

McKay virtually dragged Beckett toward the room containing the control chair.

"Look, we've been through this," the doctor objected. "I'm not your man."

"Keep moving," McKay ordered.

"I'm a doctor, a medical doctor."

"There is nothing to be afraid of."

"You don't understand. I break things like this."

They came to a stop in front of the chair.

"This device has survived for millions of years intact," McKay responded, laying his hands the chair. "It will survive you. Now, sit down, close your eyes and concentrate."

Beckett surrendered with a loud sigh and sat in the chair. "Again nothing," he said after only a couple of seconds.

McKay placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from getting up. "This time, just try and imagine an image of where we are in the solar system."

The doctor closed his eyes. After a moment, he said, "I think I feel something." He opened his eyes. "It could be lunch related."

"Shut up and concentrate," McKay responded, disgusted.

Beckett closed his eyes again. Suddenly, the chair turned on. At the same time, the drone that another man was working on activated. The weapon took off, smashing into walls and bouncing around the room destructively, sending people diving out of the way. It shot up through the shaft leading to the surface.

"What did I do?" Beckett asked.

On the elevator, heading up to the surface to greet the arriving general, a startled Doctor Weir watched as the drone rocketed past the elevator.

"Get us back down there!" Elizabeth commanded the person at the elevator controls.

Up on the surface, Daniel and Sam were shocked to see a golden streak of light smash through the glass dome covering the outpost's entrance and shoot up into the sky.

"It's a drone!" Daniel exclaimed. He got on the radio. "This is Doctor Jackson. A drone just went airborne. What's going on?"

"Daniel! The helicopter!" Sam yelled.

The archeologist spun around to see the helicopter General Hammond was on approaching. "Crap!" he cursed, knowing that there was a good chance the drone would home in on the aircraft as a target.

"Doctor Jackson, the drone is rogue," said someone over the radio. "We've warning the helicopter to land immediately and cut their engines."

Even as the man made the announcement, Daniel and Sam watched in horror as the drone nearly struck the helicopter. The pilot took evasive action, desperately trying to avoid the weapon.

Knowing that the drone had to be stopped, Daniel focused his telekinetic ability on it. He'd almost managed to grab hold of it when it abruptly changed course, as if someone else was trying to control it . . . and not doing a very good job at it.

Daniel grabbed his radio. "Get whoever's in the control chair out of it now! I'll take care of the drone."

Down in the outpost, Weir heard Daniel's message and quickly yanked a startled Beckett out of the chair. She then dashed toward the elevator, McKay and the physician right behind her.

When they got to the surface and exited the dome, they saw Daniel and Sam gazing up into the sky, where the helicopter was still trying to avoid the drone. As the new arrivals watched, the drone suddenly appeared to pause. Then it turned around and headed straight toward them.

"Look out!" McKay yelled, diving to the ground. Blinking snow out of his eyes, he looked up to see that Daniel, Sam, Weir and Beckett hadn't moved. And then he saw something else that just about had his jaw falling back into the snow.

The drone, still heading right for them, abruptly slowed, then came to a complete stop directly in front of Daniel. It hovered there in midair for a couple of seconds, then fell to the ground, its light extinguished.

"Good work, Doctor Jackson," Elizabeth said. "I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't been here."

"I told you I was the wrong person to sit in that bloody chair," Beckett said.

"I think you might have been able to get the drone under control in time," Daniel told him, trying to make him feel better. "I could tell that you were affecting its course. That's why I had you stop. It was making it hard for me to grab it."

"I wasn't trying to control it," the doctor complained. "I just wanted to shut it off."

Daniel glanced over at the helicopter, which had landed around thirty yards away. "We need to go make sure General Hammond is okay."

As Daniel, Sam and Elizabeth hurried to the helicopter, McKay got to his feet. "What the hell's going on here? What was Jackson talking about? How come the probe did that, just came to a stop in front of him like that?"

Doctor Beckett looked at him. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Doctor Jackson has very powerful paranormal abilities. We're not sure exactly how it happened, but, when he returned to human form, he was genetically advanced far ahead of our level. On top of that, his brain experienced some sort of mutation. As you saw, the man is telekinetic. He can also control fire, see the future, and do many other things. He has blown up an Al'Kesh with the power of his mind and caught a Stargate that was falling."

McKay's eyes nearly bugged out. "He-he-he caught a Stargate?" he squeaked.

"Yes. The strength of his power is absolutely remarkable. With his abilities, he has personally captured two Goa'uld and has saved the lives of hundreds of people."

All at once, McKay understood the warning Jack O'Neill had given him about not getting on Daniel's bad side. He shuddered at the thought of having someone that powerful as an enemy.

So, this is what everyone had been talking about, the reason why the name of Daniel Jackson was on the lips of so many people. Now that McKay knew the reason, he could really understand it.

Brushing snow off himself, the Canadian went back into the dome, grateful that his attitude hadn't gotten him into very big trouble.

He was almost to the elevator when the realization about something suddenly hit him.

"Oh. Oh boy," he murmured, rubbing a hand over his butt cheek, thinking that he was lucky it had just been his butt and not something a lot worse. Realizing what Jackson _could_ have done to him, Rodney McKay got on the elevator with the thought that his mouth had almost gotten him into very big trouble after all.

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel, Sam and Elizabeth hurried up to the helicopter. General Hammond and the pilot, Major Sheppard, had gotten out.

"Sir, are you all right?" Sam asked.

"Yes, thanks to Major Sheppard's impressive flying skills," Hammond replied. He looked at Daniel. "And, I'm guessing, your ability to stop that thing."

"I'm just happy that I stopped it in time, sir," the archeologist said.

"Could somebody please tell me what the hell that thing was?" asked Sheppard.

The general looked at him. "I'd say that you certainly deserve to be given clearance after what just happened."

"Thank you, sir." There was a pause. "Clearance for what?"

Hammond chuckled. "We'll explain everything to you in time, Major. For right now, let's all go to the outpost."

The four people covered the distance to the outpost and descended the elevator. As Major Sheppard went off to explore, the others went to Daniel's office, where they were joined by McKay. The general was filled in on a few more details about Atlantis. When Elizabeth explained to him that they'd need the ZPM to power the gate, his reaction was not a positive one.

"That power is needed for the defense of this planet, Doctor Weir," he said. "There is no way of knowing if another Goa'uld will suddenly attack Earth."

"Sir, the Goa'uld all know about what happened to Anubis' fleet," Daniel pointed out. "Frankly, they'd have to be pretty stupid to try and attack Earth when they all believe that we have a powerful alien weapon that could decimate any force they send against us. Besides that, we are still a protected planet under the Asgard treaty. Now, it's true that the Asgard aren't in much of a position to enforce that treaty, not when they're having to deal with the Replicators, but the Goa'uld don't know that. Between the Asgard and the weapon, they'd have to be pretty desperate to attack Earth."

"Yet the fact remains that, without that weapon, Earth would be defenseless."

--------------------------------------------------

John Sheppard wandered around the outpost curiously. He had no idea what this place was, but it sure didn't look like anything the U.S. had built, or any other country on the planet, for that matter. And what in the heck was that thing that nearly shot down his helicopter?

The sound of someone speaking drew Sheppard toward a particular room.

"The second I shut my eyes, I could see," a man with a Scottish accent was saying. "I felt power I've never had before. I had it dancing all across the sky. It was magical. It really was. If Doctor Jackson hadn't stepped in, I'm sure I could have stopped the drone myself."

"So, you were the one," Sheppard said, coming to a stop in the room.

Beckett stared at him, startled. "Me?" The two men he had been talking to left.

Not happy, Sheppard stepped up to the Scotsman. "You were the one who fired that thing at me."

The doctor's demeanor instant changed to one of sincere contriteness. "Look, we're doing research, working with technology that's light-years beyond us, and we make mistakes. I'm incredibly, incredibly sorry."

"Well, next time, just be a little more careful, okay?"

"That's what I said."

"What the heck was that thing anyway?"

"You mean the drone?"

Sheppard nodded.

"The weapon the Ancients built to defend this outpost."

"The who?"

Beckett started to get worried, afraid that he'd just given classified information to someone he shouldn't have. "You do have security clearance to be here."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. General Hammond just gave it to me."

"Then you don't even know about the Stargate."

"The what?"

--------------------------------------------------

"Sir, I think we need to focus on what we could gain from going to Atlantis," Elizabeth said, trying to convince Hammond to change his mind.

"We think that there might be more ZPM's there," Sam added.

"And who knows what else we could find?" Daniel added. "This isn't just some other civilization we're talking about. These are the gate builders."

"The potential wealth of knowledge and technology . . . it outweighs anything we've come across since we stepped through the Stargate," Doctor Weir stated.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but, with the amount of power you would need to get there, isn't it possible that there won't be enough power to open the gate to that galaxy again?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, but the benefit to humanity is far greater than the risk, General, and it is a risk that every one of my expedition members are willing to take." Elizabeth knew this was true, for not a single member of her team had backed out, a fact that brought her great pride. Now, she just hoped that there would be an expedition to go on.

--------------------------------------------------

Doctor Beckett was just finishing telling Major Sheppard about the Stargate, the Ancients and the outpost. The man had absorbed it all with surprising calmness, not seeming to be the least bit rattled by it all.

"A lot of people have been theorizing about the purpose of the gene and think that it was done on purpose by the Ancients. They think the gene was used as a sort of genetic key, if you will, so that only their kind could operate certain dangerous and powerful technologies."

Sheppard walked around the chair, looking at it. "So, some people have the same genes as these Ancients."

"The specific gene is very rare, but, on the whole, they looked very much like we do. In fact they were first. We're the second evolution of this form, the Ancients having explored this galaxy for millions of years before--" Beckett saw that Sheppard was planning to sit in the chair and moved to stop him. "Major, please don't," he said quickly.

"Come on. What are the odds of me having the same genes as these guys?"

Sheppard sat down. The chair and dais instantly lit up and reclined, shocking both him and Beckett.

"Quite slim actually," the doctor answered, dumbfounded. He yelled for Doctor Weir, then told Sheppard not to move as he rushed off to find her.

Moments later, he returned with Daniel, Sam, Elizabeth, McKay, and General Hammond.

"Who is this?" Elizabeth asked.

"My pilot," Hammond replied.

"Major, think about where we are in the solar system," McKay instructed the confused man in the chair.

Almost immediately, a hologram of Earth's solar system appeared over their heads, surprising everyone and delighting Elizabeth.

Sheppard stared up at it. "Did I do that?"

"You sure did, Major," the leader of the Atlantis team said excitedly. With the exception of Daniel, none of the other people who sat in the chair had succeeded in controlling it so easily.

Also getting excited, McKay told the major to do several other things. Sheppard complied even though he didn't understand how he was able to do these things. All he had to do was think about doing something and it happened.

"Okay, I think we've seen enough," Elizabeth said. "Major? You can get out of the chair now."

Sheppard got to his feet and just stared at the chair for a moment. "Well, that was interesting." He looked at everyone, who were all still staring at him. "Sirs, ma'ams. If you will excuse me, I could sure use a bathroom." He looked about. "Uh, is there one down here anywhere?"

"Yes, there is. You can ask anyone for directions," Weir replied.

Sheppard left to go find a bathroom.

"That was a surprise," Beckett said.

"It certainly was," Elizabeth agreed. She turned to General Hammond. The man had not yet come to a decision when Beckett came running in to get them.

The general saw the question in her eyes and knew what that question was. "Very well, Doctor Weir. I will speak with the president and recommend that you be allowed to go to Atlantis."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Hammond's call to the president lasted just a few minutes. Trusting the general's judgment, and liking the idea of the technology and valuable knowledge they might gain from Atlantis, Hayes agreed to allow the ZPM to be used.

A short while after Hammond went off to make the phone call, Elizabeth saw John Sheppard. She approached him.

"Could you come with me to my office, please?" she asked.

In her office, Elizabeth asked the major if he would be willing to go to Atlantis. His superior skill in operating the control chair would make him a valuable asset, one they might desperately need. She explained everything to him, making sure he understood that it could be a one-way trip. Sheppard told her that he'd think about it. She couldn't get any more from him than that.

The news that the president had approved the expedition delighted everyone. It also sent them all into a frenzy of packing. Elizabeth had decided that they needed to leave as soon as possible. She didn't want to take the chance that people in the military who didn't want to lose the Ancient weapon would talk the president into changing his mind. The sooner they left, the better.

General Hammond was heading toward the elevator to get some lunch before his trip back to McMurdo when he was joined by Doctor Weir.

"Thank you again for approving this, sir," she said.

"We're all hoping that you find something there that will benefit Earth, Doctor Weir."

"We could be on our way to discovering an entirely new ancient civilization. At best case scenario, we meet actual Ancients who are willing to help us, but if we don't. . . ." Elizabeth looked at Hammond. "General, we need Major Sheppard."

"Don't you already have around a dozen people who can use the Ancient technology?"

"Yes, with concentration and training, they could make it work, but John Sheppard, he does it naturally."

"I took the liberty of checking into his record, Doctor," Hammond told her, a slight note of disapproval in his voice.

"I know about the whole supposed black market in Afghanistan. He was trying to save the lives of three servicemen."

"Yet the fact remains that he disobeyed a direct order."

"I know, sir. I also know that Colonel O'Neill, who is your second in command at the SGC, has disobeyed orders from a superior officer more than once, yet he is considered to be a valuable asset to the program."

Hammond smiled slightly. "Point taken, Doctor Weir. All right. You have my permission to ask Major Sheppard if he would be willing to go."

"That's the thing. I already have."

"Oh? What was his reply?"

"That he'd think about it."

"I see. Well, then I guess you'll just have to hope that he agrees to go. On an expedition like this, when the chances are high that none of you will come back, I cannot order anyone to go. It must be strictly voluntary."

"I agree, General. I wouldn't want anyone to be forced into going."

An hour later, Hammond and Sheppard were in the air, on their way back to McMurdo.

"Doctor Weir told me that she asked you to join the expedition to Atlantis," the general remarked.

"Yes, sir. I told her that I'd think about it."

Hammond paused a moment, thinking about his reply. "I have been the commander of the SGC for over seven years, and I can safely say that they have been the most incredible and rewarding years of my career. I would not trade this experience for anything. I feel sorry for those who will never get the opportunity to see what's out there and be a part of this adventure."

"I understand, sir, and it does sound incredible, but, with all due respect, General, we were just attacked by an alien missile. Then I found out I have some mutant gene. Then there's this Stargate thing and these expeditions to other galaxies. I'm still a little overwhelmed."

"And so you should be, Major. It's a lot to take in and a lot to think about." He looked over at the younger man. "I am not trying to tell you what you should do. You are the only one who can decide what's best for you. But I will say that, if you refuse this opportunity, I believe that there will come a day when you will regret it."

Sheppard met the general's eyes for a moment, then turned back to the view out the windscreen, his mind on a decision that would completely change his life.

A while later, they arrived at McMurdo. The general disembarked and was getting ready to close the door when Sheppard's voice stopped him.

"Sir?"

Hammond looked up at him. "Yes, Major?"

"Would it be all right if I went back to the States with you? I've kind of got a lot of thinking to do, and I'd sort of like to do it at home."

Hammond gave him an understanding smile. "Certainly, Son. I'll arrange for you to get some leave time."

"Thank you, sir."

As the two men headed toward the dormitories, John Sheppard's mind was on the decision he needed to make . . . and what it would mean for his future if he said yes.

--------------------------------------------------

Jack stepped into the control room. The entire base was a madhouse, the corridors clogged with people and crates of supplies destined for Atlantis. The colonel saw Daniel stride past, explaining something to an Asian woman.

"Each chevron represents a point of space outside our galaxy, so we won't know till we lock it," he told her. Jack, having already had this conversation with the archeologist, knew that he was explaining why they didn't know where in the Pegasus galaxy Atlantis was.

Jack stepped up to the window, looking down at still more chaos. "We there yet?"

"Just waiting on Doctor McKay," Doctor Weir explained.

Jack glanced about. "Anybody seen Carter?"

"I believe she's helping with some last minute things. She's going to monitor the ZPM with Sergeant Siler while we dial up the gate."

A woman came up to them. "Doctor Weir? Could I see you for a moment?"

"Excuse me, Colonel," Elizabeth said before walking off with the woman.

Seated at the counter and going over some paperwork regarding the expedition, Daniel yet again looked down upon the people who, very soon, would be trekking across the gulf between galaxies to a place that he had been seeking for over a year. He would not admit it to anyone, but a part of him ached to rush down there and join them. But what he'd said before was true. He was needed here. And then there was the fact that he could never willingly step through the Stargate on a mission that might separate him from Sam forever.

At least the Atlantis team _would_ have Major Sheppard. Everyone had been pleased when the man decided to join the expedition, knowing that his skill in operating Ancient technology would be invaluable.

"Any second thoughts?" asked a voice behind him. Daniel looked up at Jack. He got to his feet to stand beside the older man.

"You mean about going? Yes, I'd love to see Atlantis, but I haven't changed my mind."

"Good. I guess I can give Siler back his wrench, then. I borrowed it in case I had to clunk you over the head to keep you here."

Weir came up to them. "I just received word that the ZPM has been hooked up successfully and appears to be functioning properly. I guess I'd better get down there and make the announcement." She left the control room, passing General Hammond on the way, who was just coming in.

Elizabeth entered the gate room, heading to the ramp. "Could I have everyone's attention please?" she called as she walked up the ramp. "All right, here we go. We are about to try and make a connection. We have been unable to predict exactly how much power this is going to take, and we may only get the one chance at this. So, if we are able to achieve a stable wormhole, we're not going to risk shutting the gate down. We'll send in the MALP robot probe, check for viability and go. Everything in one shot."

She looked around at her team, the faces of the men and women who would be traveling with her into the unknown, perhaps never to return. "Every one of you volunteered for this mission, and you represent over a dozen countries. You are the world's best and brightest, and, in light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you are also the bravest. I hope we all return one day, having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore, but, as all of you know, we may never be able to return home. I'd like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."

Elizabeth felt honored and proud all over again when not a single person backed out. She smiled, knowing that she couldn't have asked for a finer group of people to embark on this adventure with.

Doctor Weir looked up at the control room. "Begin the dialing sequence," she said, leaving the ramp.

Everyone in the control room, and many of those down in the gate room, held their breath as the dialing sequence began. Elizabeth came up to the control room to watch.

"Nice," Jack said, complimenting her on her speech.

"Thank you."

"Chevron five encoded," announced the technician controlling the gate.

McKay entered the control room a few seconds before the sixth chevron was encoded.

"This is it," Elizabeth said, breathless with excitement. She looked at McKay, who was standing beside her, appearing surprisingly calm. "Seriously, Doctor. Calm down. You're embarrassing me."

"Chevron seven encoded," the technician said.

McKay turned to Weir. "I've never been so excited in my entire life," he told her in a calm voice.

A moment later, the eighth and final chevron locked, and, with a roar, the Stargate engaged, opening a wormhole to another galaxy. Everyone in the gate room clapped and cheered.

"Send the MALP," Weir ordered.

The MALP was sent through. Seconds later, they were receiving telemetry from it.

Everyone gathered around the monitor and stared at the image coming through.

"What is it we're looking at?" Elizabeth asked. She couldn't see a thing, the image being completely dark.

"Switching to zero lux," the technician said as McKay took a seat.

Some shapes became visible on the screen.

McKay studied the data being transmitted. "Radar indicates a large room."

"Is it structurally intact?" Daniel asked.

"Sensors state there's oxygen, no measurable toxins. We have viable life support." McKay stood. "Looks like we're not getting out of this."

Hammond turned to the Atlantis team leader. "Doctor Weir, you have a go."

She gave him a nod. "Thank you, sir." With a smile of goodbye, she turned and left.

Down in the gate room, Colonel Sumner, the leader of the military members of the expedition, was busy giving orders.

"Let's go people. We don't know how much time we've got. Security teams one and two," he started moving up ramp, "you're up first. All other personnel will follow on our signal. Once on the other side keep moving. Clear the disembarkation area. On my lead."

"Hold on, Colonel," Elizabeth said as she entered the room and grabbed her backpack. "We go through together." She walked up the ramp to face the man.

"Fair enough," he said.

They continued up the ramp, pausing at the event horizon. The colonel raised his weapon and stepped through the gate with the three other members of the teams.

Weir paused and looked back up into the control room. Hammond leaned down to the microphone.

"Godspeed, Doctor Weir."

With a final nod, Elizabeth Weir stepped through.

As Daniel watched her pass through the event horizon, he was seized with a sudden, violent vision. Images marched across his mind's eyes, scenes of horror and death that left him reeling.

As he came out of the vision, he heard Hammond give the okay for the rest of the expedition team to go through, having just received the word from Sumner that everything was all clear. Daniel looked down and saw that Major Sheppard was on the ramp, preparing to go through with Lieutenant Aidan Ford.

He grabbed the microphone. "Major Sheppard! Wait!"

Before Jack could ask what was going on, Daniel was dashing out of the control room and down to the gate room. He ran up to Sheppard.

"Is something wrong, Doctor Jackson?" the man asked.

"I need to speak to you."

"Uh . . . okay." Sheppard turned to Ford. "Go on through, Lieutenant. Let the colonel know that I'll be there in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Daniel led the major down the ramp and off to a spot a few yards away from the crowd.

"There's not much time to explain," Daniel began. "Are you aware that I have the ability to see events in the future?"

"Yeah, someone told me about that."

"Then I want you to listen to me very carefully. If you don't do something to prevent it, your first mission through the Atlantis gate is going to result in something that will not only cost the lives of some of your team but will also result in a terrible disaster. You have to warn Colonel Sumner. Tell him not to go into the city. That's all you have to do."

"Um, sir, I can't guarantee that he's going to listen to me. He's not my biggest fan." The colonel had made no secret of the fact that he knew about the incident in Afghanistan and had a big issue with Sheppard going against the orders of a superior officer.

"Then tell Doctor Weir what I've told you. She has the authority to order Sumner not to go into the city. And if that still doesn't work, it'll be up to you to prevent what I just saw. There's no time to explain what I'm talking about, but you're going to encounter a . . . a female from another species. Whatever you do, do _not_ kill her. You'll know who I'm talking about when the time comes. Your instincts and training are going to tell you to kill her, but don't. If you do, billions of people will die. Do you understand me?"

The major stared into Daniel's eyes, seeing the intensity in the man's gaze. Though he didn't know what the archeologist was talking about, he knew that he needed to heed Daniel's warning. "Yes, I understand."

Just then, Jack came up to them. "Is something wrong?"

"I had some information that I needed to tell the major," Daniel replied. He turned back to the Sheppard. "Good luck."

"Thank you, sir."

Sheppard saluted Jack, then headed to the gate, joining the people that were going through.

"Daniel? Would you like to tell me what that was all about?" Jack asked.

"I will later, after they're all through."

The two men watched the members of the Atlantis team step through the gate, carrying crates and pushing carts of supplies and equipment. Shortly after the last person went through, they heard Doctor Weir's voice come back through

"General Hammond, Atlantis base, offers greetings from the Pegasus Galaxy. You may cut power to the gate." A moment later, the gate shut down.

Daniel and Jack went up to the control room.

"Doctor Jackson, is something wrong?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, sir, but I'm hoping that I just prevented it from happening."

"I think you'd better explain."

"I will, sir."

The three of them went to the briefing room.

"I had a vision," Daniel began. "In it I saw an alien species that lives in the Pegasus galaxy. They're called the Wraith, and they are heartless killers. They feed off human beings, draining their victim's life force until the person dies, having aged decades in mere seconds."

"Oh, lovely," Jack commented. Why was it that these bad aliens kept picking on humans?

"The Wraith go through some form of hibernation, sleeping for hundreds of years. Only a limited number of them are awake at any given time, which is the only thing that prevents the entire human population from being wiped out. In the vision I had, Major Sheppard killed one of them, a female who is like the queen of a hive. Her death caused the Wraith to wake up . . . _all_ of them."

"Crap. I'm not liking the picture I'm getting here."

"It was a disaster. They decimated the human population of the galaxy, taking the inhabitants of entire planets to feed upon."

"Doctor Jackson, you should have told me this before the rest of the team went through," Hammond chastised. "I would have put a halt to the mission."

"Sir, Colonel Sumner, Doctor Weir and two of the security teams had already gone through. If you'd stopped everyone else from joining them, they'd have been stranded there alone, and I can't predict how that would have affected things. The one thing that's more important than anything else is that the Wraith don't make it here, to this galaxy. The rest of the team is needed there to help prevent that from happening. Not only that, but something else I saw leads me to believe that there is going to be some kind of problem in the city. I saw water flooding the place. From what else I saw, they fix the problem, and everything is fine, but, without the rest of the team, I have a feeling that the people who already went through would have died."

"Even so, you should have told me, Doctor."

"There was no time, General. The ZPM could have failed at any second."

Hammond thought about that. "All right. I will trust your judgment that the best course of action was to allow the mission to continue. Hopefully, the ZPM has enough power left to dial the gate again so that we can do more to prevent this from happening."

"Judging by what I saw, I don't think that's going to be the case."

It turned out that Daniel was right. Opening the wormhole to the Pegasus galaxy had almost completely drained the ZPM. There was no chance that they'd be able to dial again. Daniel also knew that the Atlantis team was not going to find any functioning ZPM's in the city. Unless some other way could be found to reach them, they were truly on their own.

"You could have helped them," Sam said that night as she and Daniel lay in bed. "With your abilities. . . ."

Daniel shook his head. "My abilities could have done just so much, Sam. About the only thing my being there would have accomplished for sure is that I could have made certain that Sumner did not go to the ruins."

"Do you think that Major Sheppard will do what you told him to?"

"I don't know, but I think he will. I have to believe that he will."

In the darkness of the room, with Sam wrapped in his arms, Daniel thought about the courageous group of people who were, even now, beginning a battle against an enemy far worse than the Goa'uld could ever be. As sleep slowly pulled him under, he sent out a silent wish that their battle would be victorious.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It was the next day that preparations for the president's upcoming visit really began in earnest. Jack was happy that it was General Hammond who was dealing with everything. Just the thought of having to discuss bunting colors made him feel like he was breaking out in hives. 

SG-1 had something more interesting to occupy their attention. They'd obtained a gate address from rebel Jaffa who had been servants of Anubis before his defeat. The planet had formerly been in Anubis' domain, and it appeared that either the person who took over the half-ascended Goa'uld's territories didn't know about it or just hadn't been bothered with yet. The intel they received indicated that there might be an abandoned base there, which meant that it was possible there were also weapons there. A device had been obtained from the Jaffa formerly loyal to Anubis that would likely allow access to the base. 

"You have a go for the mission, Colonel," Hammond said at the briefing. "I believe that Teal'c is due to return at 1800 today, correct?" 

"Yes, sir," Sam replied. 

"All right. We'll schedule the mission for 0800 hours tomorrow." 

"Let's just hope that the person controlling Anubis' territories doesn't find out about it," Daniel commented. "If the rebel Jaffa know about it, it's only a matter of time before he does, too." 

Hammond frowned slightly. "Do you feel that this is pressing enough to go today? If so, you would have to do so without Teal'c." 

The three members of SG-1 all looked at each other. 

"No, sir, I think we'd better wait for Teal'c," Jack decided. "We might need him, even if it is just a recon mission." 

Just then, there was the announcement of an off-world activation. A lieutenant came in. 

"It's SG-5 and the representatives from Amora to discuss the pending trade agreement, sir." 

"Yes. I'll be right down there, Lieutenant," the general responded. He stood up. "Excuse me, SG-1." 

After Hammond left the room, Daniel got up and walked over to the window, Jack and Sam joining him. They watched as the gate opened and two Amoran delegates came through, flanked by SG-5. They were met at the bottom of the ramp by Major Paul Davis, who was joined by the general. 

"Here comes one negotiation I'm glad I'm not part of," Daniel said. 

Jack looked at him. "Oh?" 

"I feel sorry for General Hammond. It's going to be like dealing with recalcitrant children arguing over a toy they both want." 

"Well, he could always throw them in a room together for a timeout. It's amazing how well that works sometimes." 

As the teammates were leaving the briefing room, a call came over the PA system asking them to go to Doctor Lee's lab. When they got there, the scientist was staring in fascination at a plant. 

"Amazing. Simply amazing," he murmured. 

SG-1 walked up to him. 

Jack stared down at the object of Bill's statement. "It's a plant," he said, wondering what the big deal was. 

"Exactly! Twenty minutes ago, it was a seed." 

Sam's interest piqued. "Really?" 

"Is it really a good idea to be bringing alien plant life through the gate?" Jack asked. "Anybody remember those weird plants that made us really grouchy and gave us one hell of a headache?" 

"SG-8 ran tests and determined that it would be perfectly safe, Colonel," Bill insisted. "If humankind is going to benefit from what we find out there, we have to be able to study it in controlled situations." 

"It's a plant!" 

"I know, I-I-I know, and I know our mandate is to seek out new weapons and technology to defend the planet from our enemies, but . . . wouldn't it be cool if we could exploit the wonders of the galaxy for other beneficial purposes, like curing disease, or, well, in this case . . . possibly solving world hunger." 

Jack looked at his watch. "Speaking of which, I haven't had lunch yet." He looked at his teammates. "How about you?" 

"Sounds good to me," Daniel responded. 

The three of them went to the commissary. They were just finishing up their meal when Daniel was instructed to go to the briefing room. 

"Uh oh," he said. "Something tells me that General Hammond has lost patience with the Amorans." 

Jack grinned. "Your reputation as a brilliant negotiator is proving to be your downfall this time, Daniel." 

The archeologist glared at him. "If I have to get involved in this negotiation, I'm not going to be able to go on that mission tomorrow, Jack, since I seriously doubt that I'll get anything resolved that quickly." 

"Oh." Jack got to his feet. "Come on. I'll back you up. It's the least I can do for a teammate." 

The two men went to the briefing room. When they got there, they were met by Major Davis. 

"We're completely stalled," he said. "The Amorans can't agree with each other, let alone us. They're like . . . bickering children." 

Daniel looked at Jack with a "What did I tell you?" expression on his face. 

"Definitely sounds like a timeout is in order," the colonel said. 

He, Daniel and the major entered the briefing room. The look on Hammond's face told them that he was about ready to toss the Amorans back through the Stargate. The two delegates were standing face to face, neither of them appearing to be in a pleasant mood. 

"The plains of Goran are sacred ground!" the dark-haired Amoran exclaimed. 

"To the plainsmen," dismissively responded the other Amoran, a man with a shaved head. 

"I am a plainsman." 

The bald man looked at the other Amoran contemptuously. "I know." 

The dark-haired man's face darkened with rage. "I take offense at that!" 

The other looked thoughtful. "Offense. Now, there's an idea." 

"Hi, folks," Jack greeted brightly. He turned to Hammond. "Sir, with your permission, I think I can resolve things here." 

"Be my guest, Colonel," the general responded. 

Jack turned back to the Amorans. "What do you say we take a little break? All this negotiating, it's just exhausting. And you've been at it a whole," he looked at his watch, "hour and a half, already. We've prepared special quarters for you." He looked at Hammond. "Isn't that right, sir?" 

"Yes, we have." 

"Excellent!" Jack returned his attention to the delegates. "You can relax, get a massage, room service, whatever you need. Come on, I'll show you." 

SG-1 and the Amorans went up to Level 25. SF's standing in front of two VIP rooms told Jack which ones had been set aside for the delegates. He and the others walked up to one of the rooms. The door was opened by the SF on guard. 

Jack entered the room, followed by the Amorans. Daniel and Sam stayed out in the hall, looking in through the doorway. 

"Ah? Fellas." Jack scooped up an apple that was on the floor, apparently one from the bowl of fruit sitting on the table. "What do you think?" He glanced about the room. "All right, so it's not the Ritz, but we do what we can around here. Knock twice when you're ready to talk like adults, all right?" He walked toward the door. 

"Whoa, whoa, wait! Colonel!" called the dark-haired Amoran. 

"You don't expect us to share one room," the other man said. 

"Not . . . amicably, at first. But I have great hope for you boys." 

As the Amorans rushed toward the door, Jack slipped through, slammed it shut and locked it. He jingled the key in front of the small window in the door. The men glared back at him through the glass. 

"You can't do this!" man with hair shouted. 

"Open this door at once," the other demanded. 

Ignoring them, Jack turned to the guard. "Nobody gets out." He tossed the key to him and walked away, Daniel and Sam on his heels. 

"Well, that's one way of handling it," the archeologist remarked. 

"Like I said, a little timeout can do wonders." 

"And if they kill each other instead?" 

Jack shrugged. "Then we ask for a couple more delegates." 

Though General Hammond wasn't certain if Jack's plan would work, he was willing to give it a try. 

At 1800 hours, SG-1 were in the gate room awaiting their teammate's arrival. Right on time, the Stargate activated. 

As Teal'c appeared through the Stargate, the mouths of his teammates dropped open with identical expressions of shock. They blinked several times. 

It was no surprise that Jack was the first one to find his voice. "Teal'c. What's with the hair?" His eyes, along with everyone else's in the gate room and control room, were on the top of the Jaffa's head, which was covered with a light fuzz of hair. "Forget to bring your razor?" 

"I did not forget, O'Neill" Teal'c replied. "No longer will I shave my head." 

"Why?" Daniel asked. 

"I will explain at the proper time." 

"Welcome back, Teal'c," Hammond said through the speaker. 

"Thank you, General Hammond." 

"Okay, let's go to Daniel's office," Jack said. "I can't wait to hear this story." 

The moment they entered the office, Jack was speaking. "Okay, Teal'c, give. Why did you suddenly decide to ditch the Telly Savalas look?" 

"Does it have something to do with the Ra'kon Akel?" Daniel asked. 

"That is correct, Daniel Jackson. At each Ra'kon Akel, a Jaffa is required to perform some kind of act as a symbol of their pledge of service to their Goa'uld master. On my last Ra'kon Akel, I pledged to shave my head for the remainder of my life. On this Ra'kon Akel, I chose my pledge symbol to be that I would reverse my earlier pledge and cease shaving my head for the remainder of my life." 

"Ah. Nice little loophole there," Jack commented. 

"Teal'c, if shaving your head was part of your pledge of service to Apophis, why didn't you stop when you rebelled against him?" Sam asked. 

"Because, as with all pledge symbols, I swore upon my honor as a Jaffa and upon the lives of my family that I would not break it. If I had broken that pledge, not only would I have been dishonoring all Jaffa, I would have been surrendering my family to be killed by any Jaffa or Goa'uld who sought to punish me for my pledge break." 

"So . . . the hair's staying, then?" Jack questioned. 

"Yes." 

"Cool. Just don't grow an afro, okay? That wig you wore back when we were stuck in 1969 just wasn't a good look for you. But then, it might have had something to do with the scarf." 

When SG-1 arrived on base the next morning, Hammond called Jack to his office. 

"Congratulations, Colonel. The delegates from Amora are even angrier than they were before your 'timeout'. They are demanding to be released and say there is no chance that a trade agreement will ever be reached between our governments now." 

"Did they get the donuts? I specifically suggested Krispy Kremes." Seeing that Hammond was not amused, Jack said, "Sir, I'm betting that if you give them another day in there, things will improve." 

"We are skirting a fine line here, Colonel. Some would consider this kidnapping." 

"Nope, can't be a kidnapping unless we ask for a ransom, and I can't imagine anyone being willing to pay a dime to get those two back." 

Hammond was silent for a thoughtful moment. "All right, we'll give it one more day. If things have not improved by tomorrow morning, I'll have no choice but to let the delegates go, then try to explain to my superiors why the trade agreement failed." The general looked at his watch. "You'd better get outfitted for your mission." 

A while later, SG-1 stepped through the gate onto P2X-887. There followed a little adventure in which the team found themselves trapped inside an underground base. Upon reaching the area where the base was supposed to be, they had found no sign of it, but did find evidence of recent Jaffa activity. Teal'c had been trying the device that was supposed to give them access to the base, and it ended up activating transport rings that took them deep underground. When they got there, they couldn't find the control panel for the rings. If it hadn't been for Daniel's ability to sense where the hidden controls were, they might have been trapped down there for days. 

Once the control panel was found and it was confirmed that they could get out, the team turned their attention back to their mission objective. Unfortunately, not a single weapon or other useful piece of equipment was found. 

Disappointed, they gated back to the SGC--and right smack dab into another adventure. It seemed that the plant Bill Lee had been so fascinated with was growing out of control. All of Level 19 had been turned into a jungle, and the plant was still growing, apparently spreading airborne spores throughout the base via the ventilation shafts. So far, all efforts to kill the thing had failed. Not even fire had done much to kill it. 

At least one good thing did happen amidst the problems. When the Amoran delegates were released from the VIP room the next morning, their attitude was a great deal more subdued. Apparently, spending two days in each other's constant company had succeeded in allowing the men to get past their hostility toward each other and find some things in common. Though they couldn't be called friends, they were no longer enemies and were much more willing to negotiate. Because of the situation with the plant, it was decided to postpone the trade agreement talks until after the problem was resolved. The two men were sent home through the gate. 

By late afternoon that day, the base had lost all power to the control systems. The plant had spread inside the walls and was interfering with power and communications. Because the thing was feeding off the light, they kept the base on minimal emergency lighting with the hope that it would curb its growth. 

"Can't you do anything about this?" Jack complained to Daniel after he gave up trying to reach the commissary because the elevators were down and the staircase was hopelessly clogged with plant life. 

"Like what? It's a plant, Jack, and we've already seen that fire has limited effectiveness. Besides, as big as it is now, if I tried to burn the whole thing, we'd all die from smoke inhalation." 

"Yeah, well, if something isn't done soon, someday in the future, someone will hack their way down here with machetes and find us all swallowed up by our own private version of Little Shop of Horrors." 

"Hey, it could be worse," Daniel told him. 

"How?" 

"It isn't actually eating anyone." The archeologist held up his finger. "And don't you dare call me 'Seymour'." 

"Wouldn't dream of it. That name belongs solely to Bill Lee. This . . . thing," Jack waved his hand around at the plant, "is his little pet." 

It wasn't long after that, that things did get worse. The plant didn't eat anyone, but it was discovered that the dialing computer was offline. Siler guessed that a circuit board got fried when they tried to restore power to the system. 

"Incoming wormholes will connect, and we can still receive radio communication and IDC's," Harriman explained, "but. . . ." 

"The iris?" Jack asked. 

"Manual control." 

"What about dialing the gate?" Hammond questioned. "Can it be done manually?" 

"Um, that's a problem," Siler replied. "The inner ring seems to be locked in place. We tried disconnecting the control interface, but. . . ." 

"There was a gate diagnostic running when the power went down," Harriman explained. "It could be something to do with the commands being exchanged at the time." 

"So, we can't dial out," Sam concluded. 

"I guess we'd better hope that we won't need to for some reason," Daniel said. 

Hammond turned to Sam. "See what you can do to help, Major." 

"Yes, sir." 

Sam and Siler managed to get the dialing computer back online early the next morning. Later that day, Doctor Lee discovered that gamma radiation could kill the plant, which almost sent Jack skipping with joy down the SGC corridors. The scientists prepared a method of delivering a strong enough dosage of radiation to the entire base all at once so that they could kill all of the plant at the same time, which would keep it from regaining a foothold. Nonessential personnel were evacuated, and everyone else donned protective suits. 

The radiation worked like a dream, completely wiping out the plant. With it finally eradicated, attention was turned back to the president's visit. General Hammond had planned on canceling the visit if the situation with the plant could not be resolved, but had decided to hold off as long as possible. 

The next day was a madhouse at the SGC. Everything that couldn't be done during the previous three days because of the plant all had to be packed into that one day. People were running around here and there, hanging bunting, cleaning up the messes caused by the plant, setting up the area in the commissary for the buffet, and more. SG-1 stayed out of the way by spending most of the day either in Daniel's office or Sam's lab. Daniel's teammates could tell that he was feeling a little nervous about the Medal of Freedom award and tried to keep his mind off it as much as possible. 

"Relax, Daniel," Sam told him after dinner that night. "Everything will be fine." 

The archeologist sighed. "I'm just not comfortable with receiving public praise. I never have been. Not that it happened all that often. I mean, sure, I like to be told that I did a good job, but this kind of thing, receiving awards. . . ." He shook his head. "I'd rather just be working in my office." 

Sam smiled softly at the man she loved. She knew that Daniel was the kind of person who got embarrassed by effusive praise, so his attitude about the award really wasn't that big of a surprise. She wished that she could think of a way to make him feel more at ease about it. 

That's when a thought occurred to her. Smiling more broadly, she sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck. 

"I have an idea," she said. 

Daniel grinned. "An idea, huh? Just remember, Sam. Jack told us to arrive bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning, so we have to get at least some sleep tonight." 

The astrophysicist slapped his shoulder. "That's not what I was talking about." 

Her lover put on a fake disappointed look. "Too bad. So, what's your idea?" 

"While the president makes the presentation, think about all those people who laughed at you and your theories, the ones who called you crazy, then picture the looks on their faces if they could be there, watching you receive an award that they could never hope to get." 

As Daniel thought about that, a smile began growing on his face. Imagining what all those people in the archeological community would think if they knew that he was receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom was pretty funny. And he had to admit that a part of him would really enjoy it. He wanted to receive vindication for his theories. It wasn't of great importance to him, but it was something that he hoped would happen someday, even if it was long after he was dead. 

"Thanks, Sam. I think that will help." 

Sam gave him a kiss. "Good." Her smiled changed to a sultry one. She lifted up and shifted her position, now straddling his legs. She pressed her hips tightly against Daniel. He gripped her waist, his eyes darkening with desire. "So, exactly how bright-eyed and bushy-tailed do we need to be in the morning?" 

"Oh, I'd say four or five hours of sleep should be plenty enough," Daniel responded before taking Sam's mouth in a heated kiss. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel and Sam did manage to get those five hours of sleep. When they arrived at the SGC, they found that the place was still a madhouse as everyone tried to get the remaining things done before the president's arrival at 11 a.m. 

Around forty minutes before Hayes was due to arrive, Daniel went to the locker room to change into his suit. Jack was there, putting on his dress blues. 

"Nice suit," the colonel commented. "I bet that set you back a pretty penny." 

"I bought it for my first date with Sam." 

"Ah. Then I'm sure it was worth every cent." Jack looked at him more closely. "So, you doin' okay?" 

"Yeah. Nervous. You don't have to worry about me passing out or anything, though." 

"That's good. Wouldn't want you to miss my brilliant speech. I think I did a damn fine job on it, even if I do say so myself." 

"I'm almost afraid to hear it." 

"Ah, yes. I had to curb myself from calling you a pain in the ass. It wasn't easy, though." 

"I bet." 

Jack patted Daniel's shoulder. "It'll be fine, Daniel. Trust me." He slipped on his freshly polished shoes and got to his feet. "Now, don't be late. Wouldn't want to keep the president waiting." 

"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said softly, a wealth of meaning in the statement. 

Jack looked at him, smiling slightly. "You are very welcome, Doctor Jackson." 

Right on time, the president's helicopter arrived. SG-1, Hammond, Major Davis and the president's Advance Man, Colonel John Prior, were waiting for him at the main entrance. Hayes came forward with a smile. 

"Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Mister President," Hammond greeted. 

Hayes shook his hand. "Thank you, George. I'm dying to see the place." He shook the hands of the others. 

"Right this way, sir," the general instructed. 

The group headed into the mountain, passing through the security checkpoints while Major Davis explained how the security measures worked. Soon, they were on the second elevator heading down into the lower levels. 

The tour of the base went well, the president impressed with everything he saw. As they entered the gate room, Hayes' gaze locked upon the Stargate. 

"So, that's it," he said. 

"Yes, sir," Hammond responded 

"You'd never know by looking at it that it is something of such great power. It's hard to believe that the power to travel across the galaxy in mere seconds is contained within it." He drew his eyes away from the gate and turned to the others, smiling. "So, do I get to see it in action?" 

Hammond also smiled. "Of course, sir. Let's go up to the control room." 

Hayes' eyes went everywhere as they entered the control room. "This is quite the setup, George." 

"Yes, it is, sir. If there's anything specific that you'd like to know about the systems, Major Carter would be happy to explain." 

Hayes raised his hands and gave a little chuckle. "No thanks, George. I'm afraid that most of it would go right over my head. I'm content just to know that it works." 

Hammond turned to Walter Harriman. "Begin dialing the gate, Sergeant." 

"Yes, sir," Walter said, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. 

As the dialing sequence began, everyone turned to the view beyond the window. President Hayes watched as the inner ring turned, the chevrons lighting up one at a time. 

"Chevron seven locked," the sergeant announced at last. With a roar familiar to everyone in the control room except the president and his party, the Stargate engaged. Hayes started slightly at the whoosh of the opening wormhole. As the gate settled down, he stared at the shimmering blue event horizon. 

"Wow," he said. 

"That about sums it up, sir," Hammond said, smiling. 

"I'd like to go down there, get a closer look." 

"Certainly, sir. Doctor Jackson, why don't you take him." 

Daniel and the president went back to the gate room and walked up the ramp until they were within arm's reach of the event horizon. The president gazed at the rippling blue surface in fascination. 

"You can touch it, if you want," Daniel told him. 

"I can?" 

"Uh huh." 

Hayes cautiously reached a hand out and touched the event horizon with his fingertips. 

"Amazing," he murmured. 

"I remember the first time I went through," Daniel said. "I was the last one to step through, and I stood right were you are for the longest time and just touched it." He smiled. "Jack was probably wondering what was taking me so long." 

"What does it feel like to go through?" 

"It's hard to explain. It's like no other feeling in the universe. It's terrifying and exciting all at the same time, the ultimate roller coaster ride. Until you get used to it, you feel chilled to the bone when you reach the other side, and you can sometimes feel sick. I know I did first time." 

Hayes smiled slightly. "I have to admit that I'd love to go through, to step onto the face of another world." The smile faded. "But I fear that I'd cause a few heart attacks if I did. More than one person at the White House had a fit when I even dared to mention it." 

Daniel smiled in understanding. Then his expression changed. He glanced back over his shoulder, up at the control room. 

"Do you trust me, Mister President?" 

Hayes looked at him. "Of course." 

"Do you trust that I can keep you safe?" 

The president's gaze sharpened. "Doctor Jackson, I think I can say that my life would be safer in your keeping than in the company of an army of Secret Service agents. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" 

"If you're willing, sir." 

"You know, I really should say no. I know that I'm never going to hear the end of it." He grinned. "But what the hell. You only live once . . . well, most of us do, anyway." 

"Hold onto my arm, then." 

As the president grasped Daniel's forearm, Jack got a sudden feeling what was about to happen. Before he could say anything, Hayes and the archeologist took a step forward and disappeared into the event horizon. 

In a moment that seemed both like eternity and a mere instant of time, President Henry Hayes traversed the galaxy in a wild, frightening, heart-pumping ride that left him cold, nauseous, and totally exhilarated on the other side. 

"Holy cow!" he gasped, taking a few deep breaths in an attempted to settle his upset stomach. He looked at Daniel, who appeared to be complete unfazed by the experience. "That was some rush!" 

The archeologist grinned at him. 

Just then, the gate shut down. Hayes looked around at the landscape, moving forward a few paces, Daniel at his side. "It looks just like Earth." 

"In many ways, most of the planets we go to do look like something you'd see on Earth. Jack often remarks about how common trees appear to be. However, that's not something you'd see on Earth." 

Hayes turned to look where Daniel was pointing, which was behind them. He was startled to see the faint image of two huge moons in the sky. That's when it really hit him that he was standing on an alien planet. 

"How far are we from Earth?" he asked. 

"Um, around five thousand light-years, I think." 

"Five thousand." The president looked around again, taking everything in, knowing that this was likely the one and only time he'd ever get to do this. 

"If we had time, I'd show you around. There are some ruins just over that ridge and a waterfall almost twice the height of any found on Earth." 

Hayes studied his face. "You love it, don't you, traveling through the gate, exploring other worlds." 

"Yes. Even those first two and a half years, when my main goal was finding and saving my wife, I still loved it. There is no adventure on Earth that can compare to this. Yes, it can be dangerous. We risk our lives every time we go through, but the wonders that we see, the things we discover, makes it all worthwhile." 

Hayes met his eyes. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson. I will never forget this." 

"You're welcome, sir." 

"Well, I guess we'd better get back," the president said regretfully. 

"Yes, we probably should, but I'm afraid we can't go straight back to the SGC. I don't have a GDO or a radio, so we can't send a signal telling them that it's us. They won't open the iris." 

"Then what are we going to do?" 

"Well, we could wait here. I'm sure it wouldn't take long for a team to be put together to come get us. Or we could go to the Alpha Site and go home from there." 

"Let's go to the Alpha Site. I might as well take a quick peek at it while I'm out here." 

To say that the people stationed at the Alpha Site were shocked to see the President of the United States walk through the Stargate would have been an understatement. Even so, they quickly gave Daniel a GDO when he asked for one. 

As the Stargate dialed up, Hayes took a last look around, committing everything to memory. 

"Ready to go, sir?" Daniel asked as the gate engaged. 

Hayes met his eyes, seeing the understanding there. He nodded. "Let's go home." 


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When Daniel and Hayes stepped through the gate at the SGC, they found Hammond, the other three members of SG-1 and several of the people in the president's party all standing in the gate room. The expressions on their features varied, the most notable being the amusement on Jack's face and the fury on the face of General Lindenburg, one of the military personnel who had accompanied the president.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Doctor Jackson!" Lindenburg shouted. "You can't just take the President of the United States on a joyride across the galaxy."

"Chill out, Marshall." Hayes told him. "I asked him to take me."

Startled by the lie, Daniel looked at him.

"Then he should have refused," Lindenburg insisted. "And, with all due respect, sir, you shouldn't have asked. It was not safe. You had no security team with you. What would have happened if a Goa'uld showed up?"

Hayes stared at the man. "Marshall, are you forgetting who was with me? I'm sure that Doctor Jackson could have handled any trouble that showed up."

"Besides, sir," Sam piped in, "the planet they went to is one that was not on the Abydonian cartouche, which means that it's not a world the Goa'uld ever used. There's a good chance that they don't even know about it."

"And, as you can see, we're both all in one piece," Hayes added. "No harm done."

Lindenburg opened his mouth to say something more, but changed his mind. This was not the time or place to discuss it.

As they headed up the stairs to the control room, Jack leaned in close to Daniel. "Sweet move, Daniel," he whispered. "You should have seen the look on Lindenburg's face when you two went through the gate. I thought he was going to have a stroke right then and there."

President Hayes was shown a few more things, then taken to a VIP room so that he could freshen up. While that was going on, the gate room was being prepared for the award ceremony. After parting with the president, Daniel went to his office, along with his teammates.

"Okay, Daniel. Tell the truth. It wasn't Hayes' idea to go through the gate, was it," Jack said.

Daniel just smiled slightly, which was all the reply the colonel needed.

"That's what I thought. So, did he enjoy the ride?"

"Yes, he did."

"I do understand why you did it, Daniel, but do you think it was wise?" Sam asked.

"Maybe not, Sam, but if you were standing right there, inches from a wormhole that would take you on a galactic journey that you would probably never have the chance to go on again, how badly would you want to go?"

"Pretty badly," she admitted.

"I just wanted to give him that experience."

"I believe that you made the right decision, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated.

"Yeah, you just scored even more points in the president's books," Jack remarked.

"Jack--" Daniel began.

"I know, I know. That's not why you did it."

Fifteen minutes later, SG-1 returned to the gate room. A lectern had been placed on the ramp, a red carpet leading up to it. There were flags set up behind the Stargate. The room was packed with people. Along with military personnel and other civilian employees, every member of Daniel's archeology and linguistics staffs was there, as was Cassie, who'd been given permission to attend after pleading with her mom repeatedly. There was one face, however, that sent a shockwave through Daniel when he saw it.

"Catherine?"

Catherine Langford came forward and engulfed Daniel in a tight hug. "Jack called and told me. There was no way I was going to miss this." She cupped his face in her hands, her eyes sparkling with tears. "I am so proud of you, Daniel. I couldn't be prouder. After all this is finished, we need to get together and talk."

The archeologist smiled and nodded, overjoyed that she was there.

At that moment, the president arrived. He stepped up to the lectern and looked out over the crowd.

"We are all here today to honor a man who has devoted his life to protecting our planet from the greatest dangers it has ever faced and to seeking knowledge that will shape the course of history in the years and centuries ahead. I am sure that many of you here have things that you'd like to say about him, but I think we would all agree that the person best suited to speak about Daniel Jackson is the man who has been his team leader for so many years." Hayes looked at Jack. "Colonel O'Neill, it's all yours."

The president moved aside as Jack came up to the lectern. The colonel's eyes met Daniel's for a long moment before looking at the crowd.

"Eight and a half years ago, I met a man named Daniel Jackson, and the first thing that popped into my head was, 'Oh, great. Another dweeb of a scientist. I _so_ do not need this.'"

The sound of laughter echoed in the room. Jack saw Daniel smile faintly.

"They say that you should never judge a book by its cover, and I learned pretty fast how right that is. It was only two weeks later that I saw how wrong I'd been about that scientist. He may have worn glasses and had hair hanging in his eyes, he may have sneezed continually and had zero experience in life and death situations, but he was also a man of extraordinary courage and honor, a man who gave his life for someone who didn't even like him, namely me. By the time everything was over and I went home, I'd come to respect him and, yes, even like him a little.

"Over a year later, he came back into my life. Since then, I have come to truly know Daniel, and, in knowing him, I've learned things about myself as well, some of it good, some of it not so good. I think it's safe to say that all of us who have really come to know Daniel, those who have had the privilege of being his friend, have been changed by him . . . regardless of how much we might not have wanted to change." A few people smiled at Jack's comments. "Though I know that I will never be as good a man as Daniel is, I believe that knowing him has made me a better person, even if it is just a little bit.

"These years have brought a lot of pain and loss to all of us, and we've all been changed by it. Yet, despite the fact that Daniel has lost more in this fight against the Goa'uld than any other human being in this room, myself included, he has never once sacrificed his morality. He has fought right alongside the rest of us, seen the horrors of war and experienced them firsthand, yet has somehow managed not to lose even one shred of his decency and humanity. In fact, these years have seen his convictions and determination to do the right thing grow even stronger, much to the dismay of a certain colonel in the U.S. Air Force."

More laughter arose.

Jack became absolutely serious. He met Daniel's gaze. "Several years ago, when we all thought that we had lost him, I stood here and talked about Daniel. On that day, I said that he was our conscience, but he is so much more than that. In Daniel I see the best that humanity has to offer. I see a man whose courage, strength, compassion and integrity are far greater than many of us could ever hope to have. He is the finest person it has ever been my privilege to know. And it is only right that we all stand here today to honor him."

Daniel was now staring at the floor, clearly uncomfortable about Jack's words of praise. _'Sorry to embarrass you, Danny Boy. I'm just telling it like it is.' _

Jack's gaze returned to the others in the crowd. "This planet, this galaxy owes an incredible debt to Daniel Jackson, for far more than I could ever name. I'm not much for that destiny stuff, but I believe that Daniel was always destined to do great things, and I hope that I live to see the day when the whole world comes to know what we all owe him."

As Jack stepped back from the lectern, loud applause filled the room. Daniel's gaze remained fixed on the floor, his cheeks reddened in a blush. Jack headed back down the ramp, the president taking his place at the lectern. The room grew silent.

"Well, I have to admit that I can't think of a single thing to say that could better express our thoughts regarding Doctor Jackson." He looked at Jack. "Colonel O'Neill, I think you stole my thunder."

Everyone in the room laughed, several people clapping.

"My apologies, sir," Jack said, smiling.

President Hayes turned back to the audience. "The truth is that no amount of words or deeds could adequately express our gratitude to Doctor Jackson nor repay him for all we all owe to him. Not only did he open the Stargate for us, in the years since then, he has given us so much more, repeatedly risking, even _giving_ his life while fighting to protect this planet. The fact that he is a civilian, a man who gave no oath to protect and serve this country nor any other, makes what he has done even more worthy of praise. It is men like Daniel Jackson that make me proud to be the leader of this fine nation and a member of the human race."

Thundering applause greeted the president's words. As soon as it faded, he motioned to one of officers in his retinue. The man came forward with a polished walnut case, which he handed to the president.

"When a man or woman in the U.S. Military performs a deed of courage that is above and beyond the call of duty, they are often presented with this country's highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1945, President Harry Truman, searching for a way to honor American civilians in World War II, created the Medal of Freedom. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued an Executive Order creating the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It became one of America's two highest civilian awards, bestowed on those who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or world peace, or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. It is generally not awarded for solitary actions, but, instead for a lifetime of service. Though Daniel Jackson has not spent his whole life here, the eight and a half years that have passed since that day he opened the Stargate for us have been filled with more achievements and sacrifices than what most people have in an entire lifetime."

The president's eyes came to rest on Daniel. "And so it is with great pride and honor that I bestow upon Doctor Daniel Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom . . . with Distinction."

There was a small gasp from Sam and a look of surprise on Jack's face. None of them had known that the president was going to add the higher degree of honor by making the award with distinction.

"Doctor Jackson?" Hayes said, smiling.

The stunned archeologist walked up the ramp and stood before the president. Hayes opened the case to reveal the three-inch Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. The medal was in the form of a five-pointed white star set on a red pentagon. A gold eagle was displayed between each pair of the star's points. In the center of the white star was a blue disc, which was edged with gold and bore a constellation of thirteen gold stars.

President Hayes lifted the medal out of the case and pinned it over Daniel's left breast. If it had been a Medal of Freedom not given with distinction, it would have been placed around his neck on a ribbon and have been only two inches in diameter. Hayes then took a blue sash edged with white from the case and draped it over Daniel's right shoulder. The sash's rosette, which bore the central disc of the medal at its center, came to rest on his left hip. Three more items remained in the case: a miniature of the medal, a ribbon bar, and a gold lapel emblem.

The president closed the case and handed it to Daniel, along with the official certificate.

"With our great and humble gratitude, Doctor Jackson," he said with feeling.

The audience exploded with applause and whistles that seemed to go on forever. Daniel turned to them, feeling more than a little overwhelmed.

When the audience finally quieted down, Hayes gestured for Daniel to go back down the ramp, which he did, rejoining his teammates. Jack was grinning from ear to ear and gave him a hearty slap on the back. Sam, who was also grinning hugely, couldn't stop herself from giving Daniel a hug. Teal'c was wearing an extremely pleased expression on his face.

"Before we all go enjoy that buffet that's waiting for us, there is another order of business to be done," the president said, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "For this, I am going to step aside for General Hammond."

The general took his place at the lectern. "Among my duties as a general, there are few that give me greater pleasure that what I am about to do now," he said. He looked directly at Sam. "It is with great pride that I announce the promotion of Major Samantha Carter to the rank of lieutenant colonel."

Shocked, Sam felt her mouth fall open. Then she was smiling, turning to Daniel to see that he was beaming with joy.

Jack was also grinning. "Congratulations, Sam. You deserve it."

Sam walked up to the lectern and stood facing the general.

Another member of Hayes' retinue stepped closer. "The President of the United States has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity and abilities of Major Samantha Carter, who is promoted to the grade of lieutenant colonel, United States Air Force."

As the man spoke, Hammond removed the insignias from Sam's epaulettes and replaced them with lieutenant colonel insignias. He then saluted her, which she returned. Everyone applauded.

"Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter," Hammond said. "Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, state your full name."

"I, Samantha Carter."

"Do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Feeling the same pride she had the first time she spoke this oath, Sam repeated the base commander's words.

"That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same," Hammond continued, "that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion."

The new lieutenant colonel recited the sentence.

"And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God."

Sam spoke the final words, accompanied by more applause.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel Carter," Hammond said, smiling.

A short while later, Sam was back with her teammates, receiving congratulations.

"Did you know about this, sir?" Sam asked Jack.

"No, I had no idea. I guess Hammond decided that he wanted to surprise us all." He turned to Daniel. "Just like Hayes surprised us with that." He pointed at the medal on Daniel's chest. He draped his arms over Sam's and Daniel's shoulders. "I couldn't be prouder or more delighted than I am right now. Come on. Let's go eat and see if they have a great big cake to celebrate this fantastic day."

In the commissary, both Sam and Daniel received several hugs, especially from Janet, Cassie and Catherine. The doctor made a show of saluting Sam before hugging her.

"This is just so cool!" Cassie exclaimed. She looked at Daniel. "Mom says that this distinction thing makes your medal an even bigger deal."

"Yes, it does," Sam confirmed. "There's only a handful of people who have officially received the Medal of Freedom with Distinction." She smiled at Daniel with love and pride. "It's a very high honor."

"And very richly deserved," Catherine stated. She'd noticed the way Sam had looked at the archeologist just then. It made her smile inside. Yes, she and Daniel were definitely going to have to have a talk.

A couple of hours later, the president was gone and things were getting back to normal at the SGC. Catherine went in search of Daniel and found him in his office. He had removed the sash and medal and was holding the latter in his hand, staring at it.

"You've come a long way since that young man I found carrying two suitcases in the pouring rain," Catherine said with a fond smile.

Daniel placed the medal in the case and set it on the desk. "Yes, I guess I have." He turned to the elderly woman. "I think about that day, and it seems like so long ago. I feel like a completely different person now."

Catherine came further into the room. "But you're not, Daniel. Yes, you've changed. That was inevitable, what with all you've gone through, but at the heart of you, you're still the same person, the same courageous, compassionate man I watched step through the Stargate for the first time almost eight and a half years ago."

She settled on a chair. "And, now, my dear boy, we are going to have a little talk. Exactly when were you going to tell me about you and Samantha?"

Daniel stared at her in surprise. "Who told you?"

"Nobody. I'm not blind, Daniel. I saw the way she looked at you, and I noticed that arm she kept putting around your waist. So, how long has this been going on?"

"Just a few weeks since we started dating."

Catherine smiled. "Well, I couldn't be more pleased. I think that you two will be very happy together." Her smile faded. "So, how have you been lately, other than finally having a love life again? When Jack called, he said that a whole lot had been happening to you."

Daniel slowly sat down. "Well, to put it simply, my whole life has changed. Something happened last year that turned everything upside down."

The archeologist told Catherine about his paranormal abilities and many of the events that had happened since he gained them. The woman listened to it all with amazement and wonder.

"I can't even fathom what this must be like for you," she said at last. "To possess that kind of power would be a tremendous responsibility."

Daniel nodded. "In the beginning, I kept wishing that I didn't have it. I didn't want it. I was so afraid that someone would accidentally be hurt by it. But I learned to control it, and I came to see how much good it could do, how many lives it could save. There are still times when I wish that I was just an ordinary guy again, but the bad things that come with having this power are outweighed by the good."

"I'm glad it was you," Catherine told him softly. "I don't think I'd want that power in the hands of anyone else."

Daniel gazed at her. "So, how are _you_ doing? I'm sorry that it's been so long since I called."

"You've been busy saving the world, Daniel. I do understand." She paused a moment. "I'm doing well. I still miss Ernest." She took a deep breath. "But we had five good years together, years we wouldn't have had if it wasn't for you."

Daniel rested his hand over Catherine's. He had been saddened to learn that Ernest Littlefield passed away during the year that he was ascended. He had wished that he could have been there for Catherine.

The woman put on a smile. "But enough about that. I'm still keeping busy with my work at the museum. I've added some wonderful new pieces to my personal collection. You really do need to come and see sometime, visit for a few days so that we can really catch up on things."

Daniel smiled. "I'll do that, as soon as I have a break from saving the planet."

Catherine looked at her watch, her expression turning regretful. "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave. I would love to have stayed for a couple of days, but I have an important appointment tomorrow that I can't reschedule." She stood, as did Daniel.

"How about if I drive you to the airport? That would give us a little more time to talk."

"That would be wonderful."

Catherine had flown into Colorado Springs, so Daniel did not have to drive her to Denver. Unfortunately, it meant that they did not have a great deal of time to talk before they were at the airport.

They shared a long hug at the entrance to the security checkpoint.

"Now, I expect you to call me more often in the future," Catherine told him, "even if you are busy saving the world."

Daniel smiled down at her. "I will, and we'll have to make plans for that visit."

The elderly woman kissed his cheek and gazed deeply into his eyes. "You take care of yourself, okay? And don't you ever forget that you have people out here in the world who love you."

Daniel's throat tightened. "I won't forget."

The archeologist watched Catherine pass through security. On the other side, she gave him one last wave, then headed off to her gate.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next day, everyone in the control room got a little surprise. A MALP had been sent through to investigate a planet and ended up scaring a group of tourists half to death. It appeared that the Stargate on that planet, which was named Tegalus, was a museum piece, no one having any idea what it really was.

A while later, SG-1 and General Hammond met the country's leader, a Commander Gareth, via the MALP's video transmission. After speaking with him for a few minutes, they asked if they could visit. Gareth said that he would have to discuss it with his people.

Over the next week, the SGC talked with Gareth twice more. It appeared that there was some issue with SG-1 coming through, but the commander wouldn't elaborate, just saying that it was political in nature. Jack was a little suspicious, but when Gareth finally said that they could come through, Hammond agreed to the mission.

It turned out that the country that had the Stargate was called the Rand Protectorate. It and a country called the Caledonian Federation were the two primary ruling powers of the planet. The day after SG-1 arrived in Rand, the Caledonians requested to meet them. That was four days ago, and Gareth had yet to say yes. Daniel strongly suspected that relations between the two nations weren't particularly friendly, but he hadn't had the opportunity to discuss the situation with anyone there.

Until the decision was made on allowing the Caledonians to meet SG-1, Gareth had decided it would be best if the team did not come to Rand often. Daniel had a feeling that the main reason why he wanted SG-1 to come there at all during that time was the knowledge his government was learning from Earth.

They were due to return to Rand in a few days, and Daniel hoped that things would be resolved by then.

-------------------------------------------------- 

Jack entered General Hammond's office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

The general gestured toward one of the chairs, which Jack took a seat in.

"During the president's visit, he told me about a program that he is setting up," the general said. "It is to be called Homeworld Security and will oversee the Stargate Program, the 302 program and the Antarctic outpost." His met Jack's eyes. "He has requested that I head it."

Jack didn't respond for a couple of seconds. "In addition to running the SGC, sir?"

"No, I would be leaving the SGC and transferring to DC."

"Uh, not that I don't think you deserve the promotion, sir, because you definitely do, but who would be in charge here?" Jack had an image in his mind of another idiot like General Bauer being put in command.

Hammond smiled slightly. "Well, the president and I discussed that, and we agreed that the best man for the job is you."

The general's announcement took Jack totally by surprise. "Me, sir? Command the SGC?"

"That's right. Out of necessity, you would receive a promotion to Brigadier General."

"Brigadier." Jack's gaze grew distant as he thought about the promotion and the advantages if it, like a bigger paycheck and a better parking space. That was followed by the disadvantages of being in charge of the SGC. "Um, not that I don't like the idea of being a general, but I'm not sure I want to be in charge of this place."

Hammond's smile got slightly bigger. "I suspected you'd feel like that, Jack. Of course, you are free to refuse."

"Any idea on who we'd get if I don't take the job?" Jack knew that, no matter who became the commander of the SGC, he wouldn't be half the man that General Hammond was.

"No, I'm afraid not. The president said that he had a few people in mind." Hammond stared at Jack intently. "Jack, I want you to think long and hard about this. Commanding this base is a great responsibility, but it's also a very rewarding one. I have confidence that you would do a damn fine job of it."

Jack sat up a little straighter. "Thank you, sir. I'm flattered that you'd think so. How long do I have to think about it?"

"Not long, I'm afraid. The president gave me two weeks to decide if I was going to take the promotion and to convince you to take over for me here. Those two weeks will be up tomorrow. I have already told him that I am accepting the new command."

"I see. Well then, sir, I guess I've got a lot of thinking to do."

-------------------------------------------------- 

The news of Hammond leaving and his request that Jack take over command came as quite a surprise to the rest of SG-1. That evening, the colonel sat down with them in Daniel's office, and they started discussing the whole thing.

"Maybe you should break it down to the pros and the cons," Daniel suggested, seeing how undecided Jack was.

"I've spent my whole life sticking it to the man," Jack said. "If I do this, I'll be the man. I don't think I can be the man."

"You'll be inheriting a pretty big can of worms with the state of affairs out there," Sam admitted.

"If this Goa'uld who now controls Anubis' forces gains dominance of the System Lords, we face a formidable challenge ahead," Teal'c stated.

"Plus, who knows where and when Fifth and the other Replicators will turn up?"

"Here on Earth, we've never been under so much scrutiny as we are now that so many governments know about the Stargate," Daniel added.

"I've never had a desk," Jack said, as if he hadn't heard a word they said.

"That's uhh . . . uhh. . .?"

"Con."

"Con." Daniel nodded his head. Of _course_ it was a con. This was Jack O'Neill.

Sam stared at her C.O. "For the record, sir, you do have a desk."

"I do?" Jack responded, acting as if he was truly surprised even though Sam and the others knew that he did actually spend some time in his office and, therefore, was aware that he had a desk, though the thing was so seldom used that it usually had a thick coating of dust on it every time Jack sat at it.

"On the flip side of the coin, there is the fact that nobody knows how this place should be run better than you," Daniel pointed out.

Jack looked at him, surprised and pleased by the comment. "Why, thank you, Daniel."

"With a little guidance from your good friends and advisors, of course," the archeologist added.

"If you don't take the job, we could end up with someone much worse," Sam commented.

As Jack stared at her, she realized that she'd just put her foot in her mouth big time.

"Okay, that didn't come out right," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"I, for one, will miss you accompanying us on our missions, O'Neill," Teal'c stated.

Jack latched onto that. "Yeah, now, see? I'm not sure I'm ready to give that up either. Sitting back, watching you guys go off and have all the fun."

"Risking our lives in the face of grave danger," said Daniel.

"Yeah, that."

"Well, I'm sure there'll be situations in which you can accompany us in the field, sir," Sam said.

"You'll be in charge. You can do whatever you want," Daniel told Jack.

Jack liked the thought of that. "I'll be able to do whatever I want."

_'Oh, crap. What did I just say?'_ Daniel thought in mild alarm. He shared a look with Sam and Teal'c. He could tell that Sam was thinking the same thing.

"Within reason . . . sir," she said.

Jack fell silent. His teammates said nothing, understanding how big a decision this was for him.

"Thanks for talking about this with me, guys," the colonel said after a while. "I'm going to go find that desk of mine and do some more thinking."

Jack didn't end up doing his thinking at his desk, but, instead, while wandering around the corridors of the base. He'd never much liked that desk, which was why he preferred to imagine that he didn't have one. Actually, he didn't much care for his entire office. If he took command of the SGC, he'd have a new office and a new desk. Would he like them any better than the ones he had now? It really wasn't the office or the desk that he detested, it was what they represented, one of the down sides of being a higher ranking officer in the U.S. military.

Jack had always known that being in the military couldn't be all action and adventure, despite what the commercials on TV might lead one to believe. There were the boring things, too, the endless paperwork, files to read, reports to write. There would be a hell of a lot more of that if he took over command. That alone was a good reason to turn it down. But if he did turn it down, what then? Who would he and the rest of the men and women on this base be taking orders from? Would that person have the same level of wisdom, patience and integrity as General Hammond? Most likely not. Hammond was the finest man Jack had ever served under. Anyone who took his place would come up short of the great leadership the man had displayed--including Jack himself.

Would the man who took over have the wisdom to listen to Daniel's advice and impassioned pleas rather than brush them aside and do what he wanted? Would he have respect for Teal'c and all the Jaffa had done for them? Would he be smart enough to let Sam do what she believed could save them when their lives depended on her expertise? And would he have patience and understanding for a certain irreverent colonel who didn't always play by the rules?

Jack himself had come up short more than once when it came to some of those things, the first one in particular. He liked to believe, however, that he'd finally wizened up enough to know that when Daniel gave you advice or asked that something be done--or _not_ done--it was a good idea to at least listen to him--and usually an even better idea to do what he said.

It really was no surprise that Jack's wanderings finally brought him to Daniel's office. What was it with this place that seemed to make it the location where every member of SG-1 gravitated to when there was talking to be done? Yes, they did it in Sam's lab, too, but more often than not, it was here.

"So, are you going to come in or just stand out there all day?" asked a voice from within. Jack covered the last few feet to the door and looked inside. Daniel was at his desk, gazing at something on the computer monitor. He turned to look at the colonel.

"Hey," Jack said.

"Hey."

Jack came in all the way and sat on a chair. "So, whatcha up to?"

"Translations."

"Yeah? What are you translating?"

Daniel just stared at him for the longest time.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

"Why do you think that something's wrong?"

"Because you actually asked me what I was translating. That question is irrefutable proof that either something's wrong or you're not the real Jack O'Neill. And, since my sixth sense is telling me that you _are_ the real Jack. . . ."

"Fine! I just . . . sort of wanted to . . . talk."

Daniel instantly perceived what this was about. "About the promotion?"

"I've spent the last two hours walking around, thinking about it. Deciding to ask Sara to marry me was easier."

"I guess I can understand that. It would be a big change. You'd be here on base most of the time instead of on missions." Daniel smiled slightly. "And I know how you just love the paperwork."

Jack made a face. "Yeah, that paperwork is definitely one of the sticking points, so is not going on missions. I'm not too keen on the idea of seeing you three always going through the gate without me."

Daniel looked at him intently. "Are you prepared to accept whomever is put in Hammond's place if you don't take the job?"

"And that's the main sticking point on the other side of the coin. The thought that we could get another General Bauer makes me shudder."

"Me too."

"I'm guessing that, if you were the one who was offered command, you'd turn it down in a heartbeat."

"Faster. Commanding the SGC is something I definitely would not want to do."

"Even if it meant preventing another Bauer being placed in command?"

Daniel thought about that. "I . . . guess that would be a different story. I don't think I could stand by and allow that to happen if there was something I could do to stop it. I'd be ignoring my responsibility to protect not only Earth, but all the humans out there in the galaxy. In the end, I'd have to do what I thought was the right thing."

"Yeah." Jack stood up and headed for the door. Before passing through it, he turned back to Daniel, meeting his eyes. "Thank you."

Daniel smiled very softly and nodded his head once. With a little smile of his own, Jack slipped out the door.

-------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning, Jack called for a meeting with his teammates. Again, they assembled in Daniel's office.

"I was up half the night thinking about this whole thing," Jack told them.

"And?" Daniel asked.

"And . . . I'm going to accept the command."

The other three people in the room accepted the announcement with mixed feelings. Though they were happy for Jack that he was getting the promotion and would far rather see him as the SGC's commander than someone they didn't know, they all knew that they'd miss his presence on missions.

"Congratulations, sir," Sam said. That's when she had a thought. "Um, I know this might not be a good time to discuss this, but what about SG-1? We'll need to find a new team member." She couldn't help but think about the other time that they needed to find a new team member. Thankfully, the reason for it this time was a happier one.

"Let's not worry about that now, Carter," Jack told her. "Right now, the only off-world stuff we're . . . _you're_ involved with is the stuff on Tegalus. We'll have time to work on getting a new team member."

A while later, General Hammond announced to the base about his transfer and Jack taking over command. It caused quite a stir, and Jack received several congratulations throughout the remainder of the day, though everyone was sorry to see Hammond go.

The general finished as much paperwork as he could that day. The next day, the packing began. As he placed each item in the boxes, he thought about the years he'd spent there, the good and bad times, the triumphs and tragedies. A big part of him was saddened at leaving. Though he was going to be in command of something of great importance and would still be connected to the SGC, he knew that he would miss this place and the people in it . . . especially SG-1.

There was a knock, and Hammond looked up to see three of the people he'd just been thinking about. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were all standing in the doorway.

"Sir? May we come in?" the new lieutenant colonel asked.

"Certainly."

Sam glanced at her teammates, then back to Hammond. "Sir, we just wanted to say goodbye personally, just in case we didn't get a chance to later. And we wanted to tell you how much of an honor it has been to be under your command. We're going to miss you."

Hammond looked at the three people he had come to care so much about, seeing the emotions in their eyes. "Thank you, all of you. It has been an honor to be your commanding officer. I could not ask for a finer group of people to lead. I know that I'm going to miss you as well."

"We hope that you'll be coming to visit us once in a while," Daniel said.

Hammond smiled. "Count on it, Doctor Jackson."

Sam backed up a step. "Well . . . we'll let you get back to your packing, sir."

Hammond came around the desk and shook their hands one by one. "Good luck to you all, SG-1. My prayers will always be with you."

-------------------------------------------------- 

That night, as Daniel and Sam lay together, neither one of them was thinking of sleep, their minds on what would be happening tomorrow.

"It's going to be strange not going on missions with Colonel O'Ne . . . um, I mean _General_ O'Neill," Sam said. "We have done that occasionally in the past, but. . . ."

"I know. I'm going to miss him, even if he does drive me up the wall sometimes."

"Me too."

The room was quiet for a while.

"Sam, how is this going to affect us?"

The astrophysicist looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"If you take over command of SG-1, is that going to cause a problem because of our relationship? Even though I'm a civilian, you will, technically, be my commanding officer."

"I have to admit that I didn't even think of that. I don't know. Even if there aren't any regulations against it, you can bet that some people higher up wouldn't be happy about it." Sam smiled. "If it turns out to be a problem, General O'Neill will probably suggest that you cash in on one of the favors the president owes you."

Daniel also smiled. "I will if I have to."

"But then, it might turn out to not even be an issue. Someone new could be brought in to take over command, a full colonel."

"I don't think that would be fair. You deserve to be given command."

Sam gave him a kiss. "Thank you. That's nice of you to say."

"It's just the truth. You've been with the team from Day One. You, Teal'c and I are all very familiar with the way we work and think and can read each other's body language and expressions well enough that, sometimes, we don't have to say a word to know what we're all thinking. We know all of our strengths and weaknesses. Someone new isn't going to have that advantage. It would make more sense for you to take command."

"That may be true, but it's not up to us."

"Who _is_ it up to?"

"Well, by rights, General O'Neill should be the one to make that decision, but, if someone higher up decides to call the shots, he may have to do what they say. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Sam snuggled close to Daniel, and the two of them closed their eyes. When they awoke in the morning, a new chapter of Stargate Command and SG-1 would begin.

-------------------------------------------------- 

In a gate room packed wall-to-wall with the people he had commanded with pride, General Hammond stood upon the red-carpeted ramp and said his goodbyes to them. There was more than one teary eye in the room and throughout the rest of the base, who were listening to his speech over the PA system.

"In conclusion, I can truly say only one thing," he said, "that for all the years that I have been in the Air Force and out of all the men and women I have commanded, there are none that I have been more honored to command than all of you. Your courage in the face of overwhelming odds would be an inspiration to anyone in the Armed Forces. Thank you for the most fulfilling and rewarding years of my career."

Loud applause that went on for fully half a minute filled the entire base in honor of the man they all had the highest respect for.

As the clapping faded, Hammond spoke again. "And, now, without further ado, I would like to introduce the new commander of this base, Brigadier General Jack O'Neill."

The crowd parted to reveal Jack entering the room, resplendent in his dress blues, which were newly adorned with a single silver star on each epaulette. He walked up to stand before Hammond, who shook his hand heartily.

"General O'Neill, I know that I am giving over care of this base and the people in it to a man who will command it with courage and skill. Good luck, Jack."

"Thank you, sir," the new commander of the SGC said. He turned to the people assembled, the military personnel all standing at attention. "At ease. You all know how much I _love_ speeches, so I'll make this short. I wish I could say I didn't owe anything to anyone. But the truth is I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for the courage and support of each and every one of you." He met Hammond's eyes for a brief moment. "I hope I can be as good a leader as we've had in the past and as good as you deserve."

"Here, here," Daniel said, smiling faintly.

"I would love to make my first act as the commanding officer of this base something spectacular, like giving Carter here a promotion, but since General Hammond beat me to it," there were a few chuckles, "I'll have to think of something else instead. Oh, wait a minute. I think I have something here." Jack made a show of riffling through some papers he brought with him. "Ah, here it is." He looked directly at Janet. "Doctor Fraiser, come on up here."

Surprised and wondering what this was all about, Janet walked up the ramp to stand before Jack, who was looking at her, now completely serious.

"Doctor Janet Fraiser, for over seven years, you have served as the Chief Medical Officer of this base. In those years, you have repeatedly acted with strength, courage and an unswerving commitment to duty to preserve the lives of the men and women here with your skills as a physician. More than once, you have risked your own health and even your life for your patients. For this reason and for the contributions you have made to the advancement of medical science, you are hereby awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, a medal awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who distinguished themselves by outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States of America."

Janet had to hold back the gasp that leapt in her throat. Stunned, she watched as Jack slipped a case out from underneath the papers sitting on the lectern. He opened it to reveal a bronze medal consisting of six rays issuing from the upper three points of a five-pointed star. In front of the lower part of the star was an eagle with upraised wings, standing upon two upward curving branches of laurel tied with a ribbon. The medal hung from a crimson and white striped ribbon.

With a little smile, Jack pinned the medal to Janet's jacket. He then took a step back and shot off a salute, which Janet returned. The room erupted with applause. Janet looked down and saw that both Sam and Daniel were smiling broadly and clapping as loudly as they could. Teal'c, too, was clapping with enthusiasm . . . for a Jaffa, that is.

The ceremony ended right after that. The moment Janet had joined SG-1, Sam gave her a big hug.

"Congratulations!" she said, beaming.

"Thank you. I have to say that this totally shocked me. I wasn't expecting it at all."

"Well, you can thank General Hammond for the shock . . . and for the medal," Jack said, walking up to them.

Sam and Janet both immediately straightened and gave him a salute.

"Knock off the salute you two," he responded. "And none of that standing at attention either. It's still just me." He turned back to Janet. "As I was saying, Hammond's the one who pushed for that medal, been working at it for a couple of weeks now. He told me that he'd believed for a while now that you should get one and wanted to see it get done before he left this place." Jack smiled. "I agreed with him and asked for the privilege of being the one to pin it on you."

"Thank you, sir." Janet looked about. "Where is General Hammond? I'd like to say thank you to him as well."

"He's over there," Jack replied, pointing at a small group that had the general at its center. Janet walked over to it. Seeing her, Hammond excused himself from the others and came up to her.

"General O'Neill told me that you were the one who petitioned for this medal, sir."

Hammond smiled at her gently. "Yes, I was, but it is something that you well deserve, Doctor. So often, we in the military forget about the great service that the medical personnel perform every day in the military hospitals, on bases like this and out on the battlefield, yet the truth is that there are many who would not be alive today if it was not for people like you, who have dedicated your lives to healing the sick and wounded servicemen and women of this nation. In these years I've served on this base, I have watched you perform miracles, sometimes under conditions that would break a person of lesser strength. I have never met a finer doctor, one more determined to fight for the lives of their patients, no matter what the personal cost." He gestured at the medal. "That medal is only a small token of honor and gratitude for all that you have done."

Janet blinked away the tears in her eyes, touched beyond words by what the general had just said. "Thank you, sir," she managed to say, realizing then how very much she was going to miss this man before her.

"No, Janet. Thank _you_."

Ignoring what was considered proper, Janet stood up on tippytoe and placed a soft kiss on Hammond's cheek. As she pulled back, she saw the tiniest hint of tears in the man's eyes. Before she could start getting too emotional, Janet said goodbye to him and walked over to some of her nurses.

Daniel was in a conversation with Bill Lee when General Hammond came over.

"Doctor Jackson, may I speak with you in private?"

"Of course."

The two went up to the general's former office.

"I don't think Jack will mind if I borrow it back for a few minutes," Hammond remarked. Not sitting down, he turned around to face Daniel.

"These past months have brought a lot of changes for all of us, but most especially for you. I know that, since you gained these abilities of yours, you have questioned your actions more than once, wondered if you did the right thing. You have been given a great gift and a great responsibility, Daniel, and I want you to know that I believe you have handled it with the utmost integrity and wisdom. I could not have greater pride in your actions."

Daniel's gaze had fallen, embarrassed, as always, by the high praise.

"Your abilities have given us many victories that otherwise may have been denied us, yet there may come a day when even your power cannot prevent tragedy. If that day ever comes, do not let it discourage you or make you doubt your capabilities. There is not another soul on this planet nor, most likely, any other who could have done a finer job of using those abilities the way they should be."

Daniel finally met the man's eyes. "Thank you, sir. And thank you for all the times that you have listened to me when you really didn't have to. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the patience and understanding that you have given to me. Nine years ago, I'd never have imagined that I'd be working for the military. In these years that I have been here, there were times when I wished I wasn't. But I want you to know that there is no other man I would feel more honored to serve under than you."

A tiny smile of gratitude graced Hammond's face. "Thank you, Daniel." He laid his hands on the archeologist's shoulders. "You take care of yourself, Son," he smiled a little bit more, "and don't let Jack get away with too much."

Daniel smiled as well, though his throat was feeling a little tight. "I won't sir."

A while later, his final goodbyes spoken, General Hammond made his way out of the base to the staff car waiting to take him home. He had some personal packing to do before his flight out in the morning.

As the car left the base and started down the road, Hammond asked the driver to stop. As the vehicle came to a halt, he got out and gazed back at the entrance to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. For a full minute, he looked at it, thinking of all that had transpired since that day he first arrived here, believing it to be a post he'd have for only a short while before retiring. So much had happened since that day, things that had enriched his life and given him memories that would live in his mind for the rest of his days. He had met people who became more to him than just men and women under his command. He had gained friends there, some becoming as dear to him as his own family.

Those seven and a half years had shaped his life more deeply than all the decades of service that came before them, and Hammond knew that none of the years that yet lie ahead would make as great an impact.

With a final look, Major General George Hammond, got back in the car and faced forward to whatever the future might hold for him.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Not surprisingly, Jack's first week as base commander was more than a little hectic for him. If he had thought that there was a lot of paperwork to do as a colonel and 2IC of Stargate Command, it was nothing compared to what he now had as the SGC's commander. It seemed like all he _ever_ did was paperwork. He could barely see the top of his desk. He was just glad that there were no crises that he had to deal with as well. 

There was one order of business that was a matter of choice, however, rather than necessity. Jack had been talking to several people, attempting to get permission for Teal'c to live off-base. Now that the Jaffa no longer had a symbiote and the scar of his pouch was gone, Jack could see no reason why Teal'c couldn't live off-base. Unfortunately, most of those whom he'd talked to didn't agree. They had all kinds of concerns about things that could happen. But Jack was determined to succeed, which he finally did. 

As soon as Jack ended the conversation that had finally given him what he was seeking, he went in search of Teal'c to give him the good news. He found the Jaffa, as well as the other two members of SG-1, in the gym. 

"It's really frustrating," Daniel was saying as he did arm curls. Sam was a few feet away on another bench, doing the same. 

"What's really frustrating?" Jack asked as he came up to them. 

"Oh, I was just talking to Sam about the situation on Tegalus. Everything appears to be at a stalemate. The Caledonians are demanding information and access to the Stargate that Rand isn't willing to give them, and Rand is being rather unreasonable in what they'll allow Caledonia to have. The situation is getting pretty tense over there." 

"Which does not give me any warm, fuzzy feelings about letting you go back over there." 

"Well, I'm still hoping that this will be resolved, and the two sides can come to an agreement." Daniel glanced up and down at Jack. "I'm guessing by how you're dressed that you're not here to work out." 

"Nope." Jack smiled. "I've got some good news for Teal'c." 

"News, sir?" Sam inquired. "About what?" 

"Come on. Join me while I tell him." 

The three of them went over to Teal'c. 

"Hey, good buddy. Have I got some news for you," Jack said. "How'd you like to finally get out of that tiny room on Level 25 and have a place of your own?" 

"You got permission for Teal'c to live off-base?" Sam asked, surprised and delighted. 

Jack smiled more broadly. "I sure did. It took some doing, but I finally got everyone to say yes." 

Teal'c had a pleased expression on his face. "This is indeed good news, O'Neill. Thank you." 

"No thanks necessary, big guy. Now that there's no physical reason for you to live on the base, it's time that we all really show our trust in you. It's the least we can do for all you've done for Earth." 

"This is great, Teal'c," Daniel said. "You'll have to start shopping for an apartment." 

"I will begin my search for one this evening." 

"We can help with that," Jack told him. 

"Jack, judging by how you were when I was house hunting, the last thing Teal'c needs is to have you picking suitable apartments for him," Daniel responded. 

"Hey! I wasn't _that_ bad." 

"Need I remind you that you dismissed one house simply because the back porch wasn't big enough to put more than two lawn chairs on it?" 

"Well, what if we'd all come over to visit you and wanted to sit out on the back porch? We couldn't have done it." 

"Well, since apartments generally don't have back porches, I don't think that would be a factor in choosing one," Sam pointed out. 

"I would prefer to search for an apartment on my own," Teal'c stated. 

"Fine. Just don't come crying to me when you end up getting one in a bad neighborhood," Jack groused. 

"Rest assured that I will not, O'Neill." 

That evening, Teal'c began apartment hunting. Daniel gave him some tips on where the nicer areas in town were and what a reasonable rent would be for a one bedroom apartment. Other than that, Teal'c was alone in choosing a place. As it so happened, there was a good selection of apartments presently available, so it didn't take long to find one, a nice one bedroom on the second floor of a newer building in an area of town that, while not the best, at least had a fairly low crime rate. Teal'c's impressive--and completely fake--credit record made getting the apartment easy. 

Since Teal'c didn't own any furniture, nor much of anything else for that matter, it was necessary for him to go shopping. Daniel volunteered to go along and help with the shopping, and everyone helped get the stuff into the apartment. Then came moving Teal'c out of his quarters at the SGC, which didn't take long, there not being much to pack. 

"Looks good," Sam said, looking about. "Kind of barren, but a few wall decorations will take care of that." 

"Just don't go all Martha Stewart on us, okay?" Jack requested. 

"You need not fear such a thing, O'Neill," the Jaffa assured him. 

To celebrate Teal'c's new place, the four friends went out to dinner that evening. For the first few days after Jack's promotion, Sam had a tendency to treat him differently than she had before, being a little more formal around him, but the new general made it clear that he was having none of that, and things were now back to the way they were before. As they enjoyed their meal and chatted about this and that, they could almost forget that Jack was no longer a member of SG-1. The truth was that, even though he was no longer a teammate, in many ways, he would always be part of the team. Jack knew that his heart would always be with SG-1 and that Daniel, Sam and Teal'c would always be his family, no matter where the road ahead might lead him. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The next day, Daniel received a message from Commander Gareth that the meeting with the Caledonians was finally going to take place the next day, which pleased the archeologist, who was eager to help mend a few fences between the two countries. Unfortunately, things did not go as well as Daniel had hoped at the meeting. 

SG-1 went back to the SGC right after the meeting. Daniel gathered everything he knew about the people of Rand and Caledonia for the debriefing. 

"So, how did it go?" Jack asked. 

"Not so well, actually. My time with the Caledonian representatives was severely limited by the Rand security forces. Apparently, Gareth had national security concerns, mainly that we'd tell the Caledonians too much about the Stargate." 

"Judging by what I already knew, that doesn't really surprise me." 

"Me neither." Daniel turned to the image that was on the screen, a representation of the two world powers of Tegalus. "The Rand Protectorate and the Caledonian Federation have been locked in a state of cold war for decades. Each nation has enough weapons to wipe each other off the face of the planet." 

"Sounds depressingly familiar," Sam said, thinking of the cold war that the United States had with the U.S.S.R. for so long. 

"There's actually a third element which has me a little more concerned, uh, a group of religious fundamentalists led by a man named Soren. Now, these people think that all life on the planet was created by ancient gods and that these gods will someday return and reward them for their faith." 

Sam didn't like where this was going. "And, by coming through the Stargate, we confirmed their beliefs." 

Daniel gave a little nod. "Because the gate was activated in a public place, the Rand government has been unable to prevent the rumors from spreading. Now, before we made contact with them, these people were considered zealots who took the ancient texts too literally. The gate being activated has given them all they need to prove that they were right all along. Their numbers will grow." 

"That's terrible," Jack said a bit flippantly. "And yet not our problem." 

Before Daniel had a chance to reply, Jack's watch beeped, reminding him of an appointment. "Oops. Sorry, guys. Duty calls." He got to his feet. "Dismissed, everyone." 

Daniel followed Jack out of the room. "Jack, you have to let me go back," he said. 

"If what you say is true, things are going to get a little out of hand over there." 

"Yes, because of us. If we hadn't chosen to pay them a little visit--" 

"They'd be far better off," Jack interrupted. "I know. Daniel, we're always stickin' our collective noses where they don't belong. It's what we do." 

"I could help them understand what they're facing, make them see it's not the end of the world," Daniel told him. "If we leave now, who knows what could happen?" 

Jack stopped walking and faced Daniel. 

"We have to help them," the archeologist insisted. "You know that." 

Jack's instincts were telling him to say no, that things could turn ugly over there, but he also knew that, yet again, Daniel was right. Since it was Earth's contact with Tegalus that resulted in this, they did have some responsibility in trying to fix it. 

"Regular contact, no exceptions. The second things start getting a little squirrelly. . . ." 

"Thank you." Daniel began walking away, anxious to get started as soon as possible. 

"Daniel," Jack called, causing the archeologist to stop and turn around. The general wagged a finger at him. "Squirrelly." 

Daniel nodded. "Squirrelly." 

The next day, SG-1 gated back to Tegalus. Daniel spent that day and the fifteen days that followed doing what he could to heal the relationship between the two countries. Unfortunately, he was severely limited as to what he could do. He was only allowed to meet with the Caledonians one more time, who were getting impatient with Rand's slowness in giving them information about the Stargate. In all fairness to Rand, Daniel knew that part of the reason for that second thing was that their scientists were trying to study and understand all the scientific information themselves before passing it on to others, which made sense from their point of view. As for not letting Caledonia freely speak to SG-1, that could be blamed solely on politics and distrust between the nations. 

On the fourth trip back to Tegalus, only Daniel and Teal'c went, Sam staying behind because of a sudden technical crisis going on at Area 51 that she needed to help with. 

When they got there, they found out that the situation with the fundamentalists had gotten a lot worse. Daniel and Teal'c were taken to an underground bunker. As Teal'c remained above, Daniel went with Jared Kane down into the bunker. In several places, he noticed six round lights in a metal box attached to the wall. A blue light was lit in each location. 

"What's the purpose of the lights?" Daniel asked Kane. 

"Each color represents the military state of affairs and what our alert status is. Yellow represents a low threat level and is the color we're usually at." 

They passed beyond a metal door and continued down a corridor. 

"And what does blue mean?" the archeologist asked. 

"It's the second to highest level of military alert status. There's been civil unrest in several urban centers across the country. Over a dozen municipalities have fallen into the hands of Soren's troops. Our forces are in the process of pacifying those areas as we speak." 

"Pacifying?" 

"Reclaiming our cities from the hands of religious madmen." 

"So, civil unrest means you go to blue." 

"Under normal circumstances, no. Unfortunately, the situation has caused other problems." 

They had stopped in front of a heavy metal door mounted in a circular track. The door opened to reveal a small round chamber on the other side, making Daniel realize that it wasn't a door at all. It was actually the wall of the chamber, which had only one opening. As they stepped into the chamber, the wall continued to turn, that opening moving around the circumference of the chamber until an entrance was revealed on the opposite side of where they'd entered. 

The two men stepped out into some kind of control room, which appeared to be fully staffed and quite busy. 

Daniel was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. "What's going on?" 

"We were forced to heighten our alert status to match that of the Caledonians." 

_'Oh, wonderful,'_ was the thought that went through Daniel's mind. He saw Commander Gareth across the room, apparently talking to someone over the communications system. 

"And I promise you, we will share this technology with you once we fully understand it," he said. 

"You mean once you've assessed its advantages to your national security," responded a voice over the speaker, one that Daniel recognized as Minister Treydan, the leader of Caledonia. "You've refused to allow our scientists access to the Great Ring. You've limited our access to the offworlders. We do not feel as much a part of this great discovery as you do." 

"And had the Ring been activated on Caledonian soil, you would have done no differently. Minister Treydan, I am simply asking your government for patience. Stand down your high alert. We will do the same." 

"Typically, you trust your people too much Commander. Caledonia has been under strict martial law since news of the offworlders' arrival began to spread. Our domestic security remains intact." 

"The citizens of this world are not children. They just need time to come to terms with this information," Gareth insisted. 

"Soren and his followers have already seized control of more than a dozen of your cities. Your people are panicked, and your country is on the verge of collapse. I urge you to deal with the situation in a swift and decisive manner. Should control of the Rand Protectorate fall into Soren's hands, we'll consider it an act of war." 

The dead silence over the speaker signaled the end of the conversation. With a sigh, Gareth turned toward Daniel and walked over to him. 

"How did this happen?" the archeologist asked him. "When I was here last time, the situation was holding fairly steady." 

"Soren's troops struck quickly and unexpectedly. We can only assume that they have been planning this for several weeks. If we were dealing with them alone, I have confidence that the situation would be resolved without a lot of difficulty, but, as you see, this has caused Caledonia to put themselves on high alert. They fear that the fundamentalists will seize control of Rand, though I can assure you that will not happen." 

"So, what are you going to do?" 

"We will deal with Soren and his troops. Once they are dealt with, calm will be restored." 

"Is there anything at all that I can do to help?" Daniel asked. 

"We appreciate your efforts to help us, Doctor Jackson, but there is not a great deal that you can do in regards to these zealots that follow Soren. They do not listen to anyone, their beliefs blinding them to all reason." 

Daniel's mind thought frantically for something that he could do. "Okay, I know more than a little about these so-called gods that the fundamentalists worship, and I can tell you that, if they knew the truth, they wouldn't be so eager to see those gods return. It's possible that I might be able to come up with something that will make them see the truth. But I'm going to need more information on their beliefs, on your religious history and what their beliefs are founded upon." 

"The ancient text should give you much of what you need," Gareth told him, "and there are history books that delve into the myths and legends of that time." 

Daniel was now glad that he'd taken the time to learn Rand's written language. "Good. Where can I find this stuff?" 

"The main library would have them," Kane replied. "I can have someone take you there." 

"Thank you." 

Daniel and Teal'c were taken to the library, where the archeologist spent the next several hours pouring over any the book he could find that had information on the religion of the fundamentalists and the mythology of the "gods" that some on the planet believed were their creators. Daniel, of course, knew that those gods were actually the Goa'uld, who had brought the ancestors of these people here thousands of years ago. He was attempting to find out exactly which Goa'uld had been responsible, hoping that it was one the SGC had a hand in killing. 

Unfortunately, the name of the "god" or "gods" did not appear anywhere, possibly for the same reason that the name of God was not in many versions of Earth's bible. So, there was no way to know which Goa'uld had been the one to populate this planet. 

But Daniel did find out a lot of other valuable information, not enough yet to do any good, however. 

"Teal'c, I need to stay." He waved his hand at the pile of books. "There is so much information here, and I have to believe that something is going to give me the key to solving this problem with the fundamentalists." 

"In my experience, I have seen that, when a faith is strong, it takes a great deal to destroy it. Sometimes, such a thing is not possible." 

"I know. We have people somewhat Soren on Earth, and nothing you say to them will ever change their minds. But we have an advantage in this situation. We know that their gods are false, and we have proof of it. But I can't blindly go and tell them that without familiarizing myself with the details of their beliefs. I have to stay here and learn everything I can." 

"Then I shall remain as well." 

"You don't have to. You can't help me here." 

"That is true, but I would not return to Earth, leaving you here. O'Neill would not be pleased." 

"You do have a point. Okay, since we may be here for a few days, we're going to need someplace to stay. And the SGC is going to have to be updated." 

"I will find us lodging and contact the SGC." 

When Jack found out about the situation on Tegalus, his first reaction was to order Daniel and Teal'c to return to Earth. 

"I do not believe that Daniel Jackson will be willing to return, O'Neill," the Jaffa told him. "He is determined to aid these people." 

Jack let out a sigh. "Yeah, that's what I figured. I suppose that whacking him over the head with a heavy object and carrying his ass back though the gate isn't an option." 

"I do not believe so." 

"All right. I'll give him a few days, but if the situation gets any worse, I want you to haul him back here. Tell him that he's totally ignoring my warning about what he's supposed to do if things getting squirrelly." 

"I will give him your message. Will Colonel Carter be joining us?" 

"Not right now. She had to go to Area 51 to deal with the trouble over there personally. Don't know yet when she'll be back. Do you want me to send another SG team as backup?" 

"No, I do not believe that will be necessary. We are presently in no danger." 

For the next several days, Daniel read every book and scrap of information he could find on the religious beliefs of the fundamentalists, as well as their history and lifestyle, making use of his knowledge and skills as an anthropologist to put together an accurate picture of the people he would be dealing with. 

The situation with Soren's troops remained mostly at a deadlock. Soren hadn't gained any ground, but neither had Rand's military succeeded in regaining control of the cities that were under the fundamentalists' control. Daniel's sixth sense was warning him that something was in the wind, but repeated questions to Gareth were always answered with assurances that the situation was being dealt with. 

Both Rand and Caledonia were still in their high alert status and most likely would remain so until the Rand military had regained full control of their country. 

Daniel and Teal'c had been on Tegalus for five days when Sam returned from Nevada 

"How are things at Area 51?" Daniel asked her through the gate connection during his scheduled check-in. 

"We finally got it all straightened out, thank goodness. So, how is the situation over _there_?" 

"On the surface, pretty much the same as it's been since the high alert went into effect." 

Both Sam and Jack, who was standing beside her, heard the doubt in the archeologist's voice. 

"But?" the general inquired. 

"But I have a feeling that something's up." 

"A feeling as in. . . ." Jack let the question hang. They watched Daniel glance about to see if anyone was within hearing distance. 

"Yes," he replied softly, confirming that his "feeling" was psychic in nature. 

"Daniel," Jack began with that note in his voice that told the archeologist he wasn't happy. 

"I know what you're going to say, Jack, and I'm not prepared to give up yet. In fact, I think I might have a plan that will resolve this. Do you remember when we encountered that group of human servants of Apophis' who were training to infiltrate Earth's forces?" 

"I doubt that I'll ever forget." 

"They were certain that Apophis was a god, but when we showed them that footage of him when he was dying, they lost faith." 

"And you think that showing that footage to Soren and his men will have the same effect?" Sam asked. 

"No, not exactly. Even if Soren does know Apophis' name, he wouldn't know what Apophis looks like. But I think that we could put together enough taped footage that will put serious doubts in the minds of at least some of these fundamentalists, maybe enough to shake things up a bit and give the Rand military the edge it needs to overpower them. I suggested it to Gareth, and he agreed to broadcast any video we made over their television." 

Sam nodded. "It could work. At least it's worth a try." 

"I need Teal'c to go back to Earth. I want him to record a statement about the Goa'uld." 

"Leaving you there alone? I don't think so," Jack instantly responded. 

"Jack, you and I both know that, if trouble does start, I have a distinct advantage over everyone else on this planet," Daniel said in a low voice. 

"That advantage isn't going to help you if Caledonia starts lobbing nukes at Rand." 

"They don't have nukes." 

"Whatever. The point is that you aren't going to be able to stop several hundred missiles." 

"And Teal'c will? What's the difference, Jack? If war does break out, having Teal'c here isn't going to make any difference. But what he records on that video might, and it may keep that war from happening." 

"I'll come through the gate, Daniel, then Teal'c can come back here," Sam said. She knew that, if there was a war, she wouldn't be of much help either, but at least Daniel wouldn't be there alone. 

"Actually, I was kind of hoping that you'd take charge of putting the video together, Sam. I'd trust you to figure out what would be the best things to put in it. And, um . . . I was hoping that you'd say something about your experience with Jolinar, how she took complete control of you against your will. Of course, you'd have to fudge a little, not say anything about her being a Tok'ra and giving her life for you. I'd also like to include stuff about Sha're and Sarah, but I don't want to leave here." There was a brief pause. "Teal'c is going to talk about Sha're for me." 

"I'm still not liking this, Daniel," Jack told him. 

"I know, and I appreciate the concern, Jack. Really I do. But we're talking about billions of lives here. If you get enough people working on the video, it shouldn't take more than a day or two to put together. We're not trying for an Academy Award. Judging by how things have been going here, I don't think that anything's going to change in the next two days." 

Jack thought about it for several long seconds. "Okay, Daniel. Two days. We'll get that video done and get it to you. But after it's aired, I want you back here. You got it? If that video doesn't work, probably nothing will." 

"Agreed." 

After Teal'c had left and the gate shut down, Daniel returned to his studies. Taking a break at noon, he attempted to find out the reason for the warning of his sixth sense by taking a peek into the future. He had a vision of battles going on between Rand's military and men he assumed were Soren's, one in particular in a location that appeared to be on the coast. Then there was a confusing jumble of images that had Daniel even more worried. Unfortunately, like so many times in the past, the vision was too confusing and incomplete to really tell him what was going to happen. He decided to try again tomorrow, hoping that he would see more. 

The next morning, Daniel went to the Stargate for his daily check-in. He reported that everything appeared to be the same as the day before. 

It was on the way back from the museum that his 'spidey sense' abruptly kicked in with a vengeance, telling him that whatever it had been warning him of was suddenly a lot more urgent. 

Knowing that he had to try to again to find out what was going on, Daniel found a secluded place to sit in a city park and closed his eyes, casting his vision once again into the future. Moments later, he was bombarded by images of terrible destruction, buildings blasted into rubble, torn and bloodied bodies buried in the wreckage. The dead were everywhere, entire cities destroyed. And at the heart of it all, there was the image of a man's face, a smile of triumph and satisfaction on his lips. 

With a choked gasp, Daniel snapped out of the vision. He leapt to his feet and hurried out of the park. Getting a ride in a vehicle that was somewhat like a taxi on Earth, Daniel went to the bunker, his mind on the vision he'd just had. Something was going to cause Rand and Caledonia to go to war, and it was going to happen very soon. 

Daniel couldn't get out of his mind the face in his vision. He knew that face, seen it in a photograph. It was the face of Soren, the leader of the fundamentalists. The archeologist's sixth sense was telling him that Soren was going to have something to do with what he saw happen. 

Once he got to the bunker, Daniel went straight to the control room. He headed for Gareth. 

"I need to speak with you in private, Commander Gareth. It's urgent." 

The man studied his face for a moment, then nodded. "All right. Come with me to my office." 

The two men went to the office, Gareth taking a seat behind his desk. 

"I have good reason to believe that something is going to happen very soon that will launch a war between you and Caledonia." 

Gareth stared at him in surprise. "And how could you possibly know that, Doctor Jackson?" 

Daniel paused, not knowing what to say. Would the man believe him if he told the truth? Probably not. 

"All I can say is that I got the information from a very reliable source. It leads me to believe that Soren is going to have something to do with it, but I don't know what. Is there anything at all, something you haven't told me, that might indicate that Soren is planning another strike?" 

Gareth shook his head. "The bulk of Soren's troops are trapped within the cities that are under their control. We have those cities surrounded. They're not getting out." 

"Are you sure that's the majority of his troops? From what I read, there are several fundamentalist factions with thousands of members. Isn't it possible that there is a large force in hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?" 

"The various factions don't get along much better than we get along with the fundamentalists as a whole. Their differing viewpoints and interpretation of the ancient text keep them at odds. It's unlikely that Soren would be able to unite them all." 

"And if he could?" 

Gareth was silent for a long moment. "I appreciate your concern, Doctor Jackson, but I truly do not see that happening." 

"Please, Gareth. I know that I'm right. You have to believe me," Daniel pleaded. 

There was a knock on the door, and a man poked his head in. "Sir, there is a call for you from Councillor Fresen." 

"I'm sorry, Doctor Jackson, but I must take this call." 

Knowing that the man wasn't going to listen to him at that moment, Daniel left the office. He went up to the surface. The feeling of impending disaster was growing heavier, oppressive, telling him that he was running out of time. He thought about going back to the Stargate, leaving the people of Tegalus to their fate, but how could he do that if there was still some chance that he could stop this from happening? 

Since gaining his abilities, there had been only a few times when Daniel felt helpless, powerless to do anything. Now, he had that feeling again, and he knew that, if he failed to do something this time, countless millions would die. 


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Closing his eyes, Daniel tilted his head up toward the sunlight that was peeking through the cloud cover.

"Good morning," said a soft, feminine voice.

Daniel looked down to see a pretty woman with light auburn hair. "Um, hello."

The woman smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, but you appeared to be upset, and I thought I could help."

"Thank you, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing you can do." Daniel smiled at her. "My name's Daniel."

"Leda. My husband went off and forgot his lunch this morning, so I was bringing it to him."

"Your husband? He works in the bunker?"

"Yes. You may know him. Jared Kane."

"Yes, we've met."

Leda's face lit with realization. "Are you Doctor Daniel Jackson? Jared has told me about you and the others who came through the Great Ring."

"Yes, that's me."

"I am pleased to meet you. I was amazed when he told me about what happened and what the Great Ring is. To think that your people have traveled all over the galaxy."

At any other time, he'd have been happy to talk with the woman, who seemed like a very nice person, but Daniel's mind was too burdened with what he knew was coming.

"Something is still troubling you," Leda said.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that the only person who can help is Commander Gareth, and he won't listen to me."

"Is it something to do with the trouble with the fundamentalists? It has been all over the news for weeks now. The news also says that there is a problem with Caledonia, but they have no details. Jared can't discuss it with me because of security, but I see the concern on his face when he comes home at night."

"Yes, it does, but I'm afraid I can't discuss it either."

"Well, whatever the problem is, I hope it's resolved."

Daniel said goodbye to the woman, watching her go inside. He went over to a café that was a few blocks away for a cup of the beverage that was this planet's equivalent of coffee.

As he sipped on the beverage, Daniel thought about what he was going to do. He could tell Gareth the truth about how he knew there was going to be an attack. It wouldn't be difficult to prove his abilities. But how would the commander react? While reading about the old religious beliefs of the people of Tegalus, Daniel had learned that there was a general mistrust of anything remotely resembling paranormal abilities. Such abilities were extremely rare and almost never believed by the general public. In the very few instances when someone was proven to have psychic abilities, that person was looked upon as a freak and shunned. Ironically, the only people who didn't react that way were the ones who still believed in the gods of old. To them, such individuals were looked upon as having been blessed by the gods.

If there was some way that Daniel could find Soren, he guessed that it would be very easy for him to have the man just about worshiping him as a messenger from the gods. He might then be able to convince Soren that what the rebels were doing was not the right way to go about things. Even if he couldn't, once he had the leader of the fundamentalists in his grasp, he could put an end to this.

But Daniel had no idea where Soren was. Having never met the man, it would be impossible for Daniel to track him down, even if he was right there in the capital city.

Finishing his 'coffee', the archeologist headed back to the bunker, deep in thought. He knew that he had to try again to convince Gareth that something was going to happen.

Down in the control room, Daniel found the commander busy getting reports from military units throughout Rand. He waited until the man was finished with that.

"Have they noticed anything?" he asked.

"There is increased activity among Soren's people in the cities he is controlling, and a few individuals known to be fundamentalist sympathizers have been arrested in other cities after being spotted acting suspicious, but that's all."

"Gareth, I wish you'd listen to me when I tell you that something is going to happen."

Jared Kane came up to them. "What is he talking about?"

"Doctor Jackson believes that something is going to happen that will trigger a war."

Kane turned his gaze upon Daniel. "Why do you believe that?"

"I was given a warning."

Kane looked at him suspiciously. "A warning by whom?"

Daniel gazed at the two men. "All right, I'll tell you the truth, but you're not going to believe me." He looked at Gareth. "Can we go to your office?"

The three men went to the commander's office.

"Okay, Doctor Jackson, what were you told and by whom?" Gareth asked.

"Nobody told me. I know because I saw it happen."

Gareth and Kane stared at him.

"What are you talking about?" the commander's chief aide asked.

"Okay, last year, something happened that, among other things, gave me the ability to see the future. I can't explain why or how this happened, but I'm telling you the truth. This morning, I had a vision that showed me the destruction of Rand and Caledonia. Millions and millions of people died."

"You honestly don't expect us to believe this," Kane said.

"I know this is hard for you to believe, but I'm telling you the truth."

"And do you have proof of this?" Gareth asked, his voice heavy with skepticism.

"I can't prove that I had the vision, but I can prove my abilities, if you will give me the opportunity."

The sound of running footsteps drew everyone's attention to the door. There was an urgent knock, and a man came in.

"Commander! We just got a report that there's been a major uprising in Marshad."

Gareth leapt to his feet and strode out of his office, Daniel and Kane on his tail. They all went to the control room.

"Where's Marshad?" Daniel asked Kane.

"It's a city on the coast. One of our biggest ports is there, vital to the importing and exporting of goods."

Daniel recalled the scene from his vision and knew that this was what he saw.

Gareth was talking with one of the military commanders in Marshad. It seems that troops loyal to Soren had sprung a surprise attack and were now in a heated battle with the military, trying to gain control of the port. They had somehow already gained control of the city's seat of government and were holding everyone inside hostage.

Gareth ordered troops from two nearby cities to help in the fighting, stressing how important it was not to lose control of the port.

Over the next several hours, everyone in the bunker listened to reports coming in from the besieged city. Daniel's sixth sense was clamoring a warning louder than ever. He knew beyond all doubt that there was more to it than this, that Soren was about to do something much bigger. He had tried several times to get Gareth to listen to him, but the man was too focused on what was happening in the costal city. Kane finally ordered Daniel to leave the bunker.

On the surface, Daniel began to pace. He didn't know what to do. No one was listening to him. There was a chance that, if he tried, he could get more information about what Soren was going to do, but what good would that do if nobody would believe him? Was there some way that he could stop Soren himself? The chances of that were remote, unless he figured out exactly where the man was.

With a sick feeling growing in his stomach, Daniel realized that, this time, his abilities could not help. They were not going to save the day. Millions of people were going to die, and he could do nothing to save them.

A voice deep inside cried in denial. There had to be _something_ he could do!

Finding a place to sit, Daniel closed his eyes and yet again looked into the future. Again, he saw the destruction, the deaths of millions. And then he saw something else, a group of men attacking some kind of facility. The men, whom Daniel knew were Soren's, seized control of the building. An instant later, Daniel knew what that building was as he watched missiles launched into the air on a deadly course toward Caledonia.

Leaping to his feet, Daniel ran back to the bunker. But when he got to the security checkpoint, he was told that he was not allowed to enter, by order of Jared Kane.

"Tell Kane or, better yet, Commander Gareth that I have new information. It is absolutely vital that they listen to me!"

The man called down to the control room, speaking to someone there. He hung up a couple of minutes later.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the commander can't speak with you now."

For a brief moment, Daniel was tempted to knock the man out and force his way down into the bunker, but all that would do is label him a dangerous enemy.

The archeologist turned away. He would have to go back through the Stargate. There was nothing more he could do. The leaders of Rand wouldn't listen to him, and he had no idea where the missile launching facility was that Soren was going to take control of.

The thought of running away and leaving this world to its fate made Daniel feel both ill and furious. He didn't want to give up. He wanted to keep trying. But, if he stayed, he would most likely die along with everyone else. If it was his life alone that he'd be risking by staying, he wouldn't hesitate to stay as long as there was even the tiniest hope that he could do something to stop the war. But if he died, he would no longer be able to help fight the Goa'uld. A year ago, that thought wouldn't have even entered his mind, for he wouldn't have considered his contribution to matter all that much, but everything was different now that he had these abilities, abilities that he knew might help defeat the Goa'uld years sooner than what they could have hoped for, possibly saving billions of human and Jaffa lives.

With deep regret and feeling like he was betraying the people of Tegalus, Daniel turned back to the man at the desk.

"I need a ride to the museum."

Again, the man got on the phone. This conversation lasted longer.

"Sir, if you were planning on going through the Great Ring, I've been told that orders have been given to move it."

"What! Move it where?"

"I don't know, sir."

"I need to talk to Gareth now," Daniel said in a hard voice. "I don't care what Kane's orders are."

Something in Daniel's eyes must have told the young man that he meant business. The soldier quickly got back on the phone.

"You can go down, sir," he said a few seconds later.

Daniel didn't waste any time going to the control room.

"Kane, what's going on?" he asked the commander's aide, who was approaching him. "I was told that the Stargate is being moved."

"Rebels have seized control of many of Rand's major cities, and still more cities are under siege. At the present time, this city is secure, but it's only a matter of time before it, too, is attacked. The Stargate is being moved into the bunker complex for security purposes."

"What are the Caledonians doing?"

"They are saying that, if the situation gets any worse, they will have no choice but to fully deploy and prime their missile systems. If that happens, we will do the same. It would be best if you go back to your own world as soon as possible."

Daniel thought of something. "The DHD. They're bringing that, too, right?"

"Yes."

"What about the MALP?"

Kane frowned in puzzlement. "The MALP?"

"The robot that came through the Stargate first. It's what we use to communicate with Earth."

"No, I do not believe that it is being brought."

"Please ask them to bring it, too."

Gareth got in touch with the crew that was working on transporting the gate and the DHD and told them to bring the MALP as well.

It took a long time for the thirty-two-ton Stargate to be moved from the museum to the bunker. As that was being done, the situation with the fundamentalists got progressively worse. Every major city was now in their hands, and fighting had begun in the capital, the city Daniel was now in. By the time the Stargate had been lowered into the bunker through an opening in the ceiling, sections of the capital had been taken control of by Soren's troops.

Daniel had told Gareth that one of their missile control sites was going to be captured by Soren, but the man didn't believe him. The archeologist found out that there were several control sites scattered all over the country. He had no idea which one it was that he saw taken over by the fundamentalists. Daniel used his abilities once more in an attempt to see more details, something that would tell him which facility would be taken, but it was useless. All he kept seeing was the death and destruction.

As the men assigned to setting up the gate and the DHD worked on stabilizing the massive ring in its new stand, Daniel was in the control room, helplessly witnessing what he knew would most likely be the end of both Rand and Caledonia. As the Caledonians had warned, they had primed their missile systems, and Rand had done likewise. Gareth was now talking to Minister Treydan, who had just called.

"Commander Gareth, we've been monitoring the situation in your country. We are most concerned," the minister said in his cold, emotionless voice.

"I understand, Minister. However, rest assured we are close to reclaiming vital areas--"

"Now is not the time for rhetoric, Commander. Our reports indicate large elements of your military are on the brink of mutiny. Your civil unrest has become a civil war. Should any of your weapons systems fall into the wrong hands, no one in my country would be safe."

"That will not happen. I can promise you," Gareth assured him.

But Daniel knew that it _would_ happen. His vision was going to come true, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Just as you promised our scientists full access to the Stargate," Treydan said, his message clear. "First, you hide information about the alien device, and, now, you deny your country has slipped into chaos."

"We respected the guidelines of our treaty to the letter. Our report to you on the Stargate outlined everything we know. . . ." Gareth's voice trailed off at the sound of a distant explosion.

The person manning the radio handed Kane a piece of paper as Treydan responded to Gareth's statement.

"Except what you deemed advantageous to your national security."

Seeing the look on Kane's face, Gareth told Treydan to hold on and gestured to the radio man to stop the transmission.

Kane came up to him, leaning in close. "Rebel forces just detonated a large explosive device near one of our missile deployment facilities," Kane announced on a low voice. "As of this moment, we understand the facility to be compromised."

His expression clearly revealing his worry, Gareth gestured to the man controlling the radio to resume transmission.

"Minister, forgive me. I must cut our conversation short."

"Commander, my intelligence advisors have just informed me of a massive explosion near one of your missile facilities. Is this true?"

"We are still gathering information. We will contain the situation--"

"The time for containment is long past, Commander," Treydan said. "We cannot allow your missile facilities to fall into Soren's hands."

"Treydan, give us time. This need not escalate."

"We are targeting your missile sites only. If you do not wish a full-scale war, you will not retaliate."

"Minister Treydan!" Daniel cried, trying one last ditch effort to stop the war. "You have to listen to me. If you launch your missiles, Soren will retaliate. Please don't fire!"

There was no reply from the man.

"Commander, we've detected multiple launch signals from Caledonian positions!" the radio man announced.

A computer-generated map on the wall showed inbound missiles from Caledonia heading for Rand. Daniel knew beyond all doubt what was going to happen next. A few seconds later, he was proven right.

"Sir! Missiles are launching from a number of our sites!" the radio man shouted.

"It's Soren," Daniel said. "He's launching the missiles."

"He's going to kill us all!" Kane exclaimed. "Caledonia will respond with a full-scale attack."

Gareth turned and met Daniel's gaze. In the commander's eyes, the archeologist saw realization and regret. Too late, Gareth had realized that he should have listened to Daniel's warning.

Just as Daniel already knew would happen, upon detecting the launch of Rand's missiles, Caledonia responded by launching more of theirs. In turn, more of Rand's were sent on a course for Caledonia.

It wasn't long before the first missile struck Rand. The explosions were distant, hitting missile silos that were already empty of their contents, but it was still felt in the bunker. Not long after that, missiles began hitting the capital city, shaking the bunker more violently.

"This is insane!" Daniel cried.

"Soren's forces are moving in on this facility," Kane told him. "I can get you to the Stargate, but we have to go now."

The two men left the control room with a military escort. They were approaching another door when Daniel's sixth sense sent a sudden warning. A second later, the doors were blasted open from the other side.

Everyone took cover behind stacks of sandbags and aimed their weapons. As rebel forces began pouring into the room, guns firing, and Kane's men returned fire, the archeologist gathered his power and struck at the rebels. The men went flying backwards, striking the walls hard and falling senseless to the floor.

"What's going on!" Kane yelled. "What did that?"

Before Daniel could answer, more rebels came rushing in. He was about to strike at them, too, when a sudden vision flashed through his mind. He saw Soren, frustrated by his inability to take the bunker, send a missile right at it, destroying it. There was a bright flash of light, then the vision ended, leaving Daniel shaken at the realization that he'd just witnessed his own death, as well as the deaths of everyone else in the bunker. By preventing Soren from taking this place, he was making things worse, not better.

A gasp of pain drew Daniel's attention to Kane. The man had been hit in the leg. Daniel grabbed him and pulled him out of the line of fire, shielding them both from bullets with his telekinetic abilities.

Kane struggled to his feet with Daniel's help.

"This way!" he yelled.

Knowing that he could not save the bunker from falling to Soren's troops, Daniel hurried with Kane down a side corridor.

They stopped at a steel door that looked much like the door between compartments on a military ship.

"Here. Through that door," Kane said.

On the other side of the door was a damp, dimly lit tunnel that looked like it was used to access the water and power systems for the bunker. The commander's aide was limping badly, and the archeologist had to support him as they ran down the tunnel. They were soon at another door, which led outside.

They were no sooner out the door when there was the sound of an incoming missile.

"Get down!" Kane yelled.

Kane dove to the ground, followed a second later by Daniel, who heard the missile strike. Even as he sought to protect them from debris, there was a sharp, searing pain as something struck his head, and then he knew no more.

At almost the same moment, thousands of light years away, Sam awoke with a cry. She sat bolt upright, her body shaking.

"Daniel," she gasped.

Sam knew beyond all doubt that something terrible had just happened to the man she loved. She had no idea how she could know this, but she was certain of it.

Sam was in her car five minutes later, rushing to the SGC. Upon arriving, she headed straight down to the control room.

"Dial up Tegalus," she ordered.

The technician on duty stared at her. "Ma'am?"

"You heard me, Airman. Dial the gate. Or am I going to have to wake General O'Neill so that _he_ can tell you to do it?"

The man looked at the other tech on duty, who shrugged. The first man went over to the console and began the dialing sequence after Sam told him the planet's alphanumeric designation.

As soon as the wormhole formed, Sam started speaking into the microphone. "Rand, this is Colonel Carter with Stargate Command, please respond." She knew that there was always a military detail at the Stargate, who would reply through the MALP.

This time, however, there was no response.

"This is Colonel Carter. Please respond." Still nothing. "Bring up the camera feed," Sam told the tech. A moment later, a static-filled image came onscreen, but it was not the one she was expecting to see. Instead of a view of the museum courtyard that the Stargate was in, she saw a room with concrete walls and no windows.

"What the hell's going on?" Sam questioned.

No sooner were those words spoken when they all heard the sound of gunfire and explosions. Sam immediately grabbed a phone and called Jack.

"Sir, something's going on in Rand. The Stargate's been moved, and there are sounds of a battle."

"Crap!" Jack cursed, sitting up and tossing aside the covers. "I'm on my way."

When Jack got there, Sam was still in the control room, a scared look on her face.

"Something's happened to Daniel," she told him.

"Now, Carter, you don't know that."

"Yes, I do, sir. I don't know how, but I can feel it. Something terrible has happened on the planet."

Deciding not to question Sam's feeling, Jack ordered the gate to be dialed up again. The view was the same as before, with two exceptions. The first was that the picture was even worse, which led Sam to believe that the camera had been damaged. The other difference was that there were two armed men in the room. Their weapons were pointed at the Stargate.

"This is General O'Neill of Stargate Command. Identify yourselves."

The gazes of the men went to the MALP, their weapons now pointing at it.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

"Like I already said, I'm General O'Neill of the SGC, on Earth. Now, I ask again. Who are _you_?"

One of the men whispered into the ear of the other, who left the room. The man who stayed behind said nothing further. A moment later, another man came in, but the picture on the screen had gotten so bad that they couldn't really see him.

"Can't you do anything about that picture?" Jack asked, covering the microphone with his hand.

"I'm afraid not, sir," the technician answered. "The camera was apparently damaged."

At that moment, they lost the picture completely.

"I am Soren," said a voice, most likely that of the man who had just arrived.

Sam gasped, knowing what this meant.

"General O'Neill," Jack said. "Would you care to tell me what's going on over there?"

Jack and the others in the control room heard the muffled sound of an explosion.

"The war that will put an end to the unbelievers is being waged," Soren replied. There was another explosion. "The sounds you hear are missiles striking into the heart of those who chose to abandon the true faith. Rand and Caledonia will be cleansed with fire, wiped clean of their sins, and we will rise anew from the ashes to serve the gods and await their return."

A horrible, sick feeling welled up inside Sam as she realized what Soren was saying. "Oh my God."

Jack was getting scared, too, but he fought to control it. "One of my people was there, a Doctor Daniel Jackson. Do you know where he is?"

"No. There is no one by that name here in this bunker . . . not alive anyway."

Sam made a little choking sound.

Soren continued. "Many of those who defended the bunker died in the fighting. If your man was here, then he is dead, for he is not among the prisoners. If he was outside when the war began, then he is probably also dead. The city is in ruins. Few have survived."

_'God, no,'_ Sam's mind was crying. _'This can't be happening!'_ But it _was_ happening. The war that they had all worried about had taken place, and Daniel had been trapped within it, now probably dead.

Bracing himself, Jack asked the question that he knew he had to. "If I gave you his description, would you be able to tell me if he was among the . . . the casualties in the bunker?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Jack gave the man a detailed description of Daniel, knowing that his clothing and Stargate Program patches would be the most recognizable items of identification.

"There were no men here with such clothing and identification," Soren said right away. "This I know for certain. Only members of the Rand military were here."

Jack relaxed slightly. The fact that Daniel hadn't been killed at the bunker meant that there was still a chance that he was alive.

"I would like to send a team over there to talk with you. What is your situation?"

"Such a thing would not be possible now. In a few days, the missiles will no longer be striking. We can speak of this then."

"Look. We want to go searching for our missing man. A delay of a few days could cost his life."

"Even if he still lives, you could not search for him while the capital city is still under attack. Contact us again in three days. As I said, we will speak of you coming here then."

They heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Dammit," Jack cursed softly. He ordered the gate to be shut down.

"How could this have happened so fast?" Sam questioned, trying to regain control of her emotions. "When Daniel checked in last, he said that everything was pretty much the same as it had been."

"I don't know, but we're going to find out. I _knew_ I should have ordered him to get his ass back here."

"I shouldn't have let him stay there alone," Sam whispered. "I should have gone to Rand."

Jack said nothing in reply, guilt hitting him hard. _He_ was the one who allowed Daniel to stay on the planet alone. It was his call, and he'd made the wrong one. Maybe if Sam or Teal'c had been with him, they would have made it to the Stargate before everything went to hell. Knowing Daniel, he probably waited until the last minute, hoping that he could still help the people of Tegalus, even as they were going to war with each other. Sam or Teal'c would have had more sense, insisting that they leave.

But even if they _had_ insisted, Daniel might not have gone, and there was really nothing they could have done to force him to go. No, that wasn't true. If they had refused to leave without him, therefore, risking their lives as well, it might have been enough to convince Daniel to go.

Jack went to his office, praying that his decision had not cost the life of his best friend.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

A deep ache in his head was the first thing that filtered into Daniel's awareness. That was soon followed by pain in many other places, particularly his right side, back and left arm. As the blackness of unconsciousness gradually lifted, Daniel's senses told him that he was not alone. And then he felt the touch of a cool, wet cloth on his face. He moaned in response, which caused the cloth to be removed. He missed its soothing touch. 

"Daniel?" inquired a hesitant female voice, one that seemed vaguely familiar to him. 

"Sam," Daniel moaned. 

"Shh. It's all right, Daniel. You're safe. It's Leda, Jared Kane's wife. 

Daniel's mind began to clear. Leda? A hazy memory came to him of a slim, auburn-haired woman. As the memory gained clarity, Daniel attempted to open his eyes--and discovered that he couldn't. Something was covering them. Feeling momentary panic, Daniel reached for his eyes, but his hand was halted by Leda. 

"No, you mustn't touch the bandages," she said. 

"My eyes." 

"You got dust and small pieces of debris in them. I washed them out as well as I could, but I wanted to give them time to heal." 

"Am I going to be blind?" Daniel asked. 

There was a slight pause before Leda replied. "I do not believe so, but I can't be sure. I'm not a doctor, so I don't know what damage might have been done. You were badly injured, Daniel. The fact that you're alive is a miracle." 

A miracle. The memories of what happened were all coming back to him now, and Daniel wasn't feeling all that lucky. Because of SG-1 and the Stargate Program, Rand and Caledonia had been destroyed. 

"What happened? The capital, the other cities. Was everything destroyed?" 

There was an even longer pause. "The capital is all but gone, as are most of the other cities. Only rural areas like this one and small townships were spared destruction." 

"God," Daniel whispered in a distressed voice. So many lives lost, and he couldn't stop it from happening. All these powers of his, and he couldn't stop it. He felt tears sting his bandaged eyes. 

A gentle hand laid upon his arm. 

"Please, Daniel. You need rest. Don't think about the past. You need to concentrate on getting well." 

"It was our fault. If we hadn't come here, none of this would have happened." 

There was yet another pause. "Rest, Daniel. You need to get your strength back. Frankly, considering the seriousness of your injuries, I am amazed that you have awakened so soon and are lucid. You have had a high fever for two days now. It finally broke just a short while ago." 

"Two days? How long has it been since the attack?" 

"Less than three since the first missiles struck." 

Daniel had another thought. "What about Kane, your husband?" 

"He was injured, too, though not nearly as badly as you. He also had a bullet wound in his leg, but it was not serious. He is in another room, sleeping, as you should be." 

"And Commander Gareth?" 

The long pause gave him his answer even before she spoke. "He's dead. That's all I know." 

Daniel was sad to hear about Gareth's death. Though the commander had made some mistakes in how he handled the situation with the Stargate and the Caledonians, he had been a good man. 

Daniel felt the tiredness and weakness of his body. He didn't want to sleep, but he knew that he needed to. Even as that thought entered his mind, sleep snuck up on him from nowhere and took him back into darkness. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Jack, Sam and Teal'c watched anxiously as the Stargate dialed up. It had been three days since the start of the war on Tegalus, three days full of guilt and fear. Sam had barely slept during these days, and she had refused to go home, catching an occasional nap in her quarters. She didn't _want_ to go home, home to an empty bed that might never again be shared with Daniel. 

_'No! Don't you think that! He's not dead. He **can't** be dead.' _

Sam felt the familiar burn of tears and hastily wiped them away. She had refused to let herself cry, refused to give into the grief that was a growing ache in her heart. As long as they didn't have proof that Daniel was dead, there was a chance that he was still alive. He was a survivor. He always had been. But, with his abilities, the chances were even greater that he was alive. She was going to hold onto that hope with both hands . . . until there could be no hope left. 

The moment the wormhole to Tegalus was established, Jack was asking to speak with Soren. It was a couple of minutes before the man arrived. 

"You said three days. It's been three days," Jack said. "I'd like to send some people through, but I need your assurance that they will not be harmed." 

"We have no quarrel with your people or your world. In fact, we owe you a great debt. Because of your contact with this world, many more people came to see the truth about the gods, and the war that ended the power of the unbelievers came to be." 

"Well, gee. That's just great. Glad we could help. When can I send someone through?" 

"There is much for me to do at this time. I have no time now to speak with your people. In several more days, it will be better." 

"What?! Several more days? Look, Soren. Every day we delay lowers our chances of finding Daniel alive." 

"Nevertheless, you must have patience. Contact us again in four more days." 

And that was it. Soren broke off contact. Jack ordered the gate to be shut down. 

"This guy is not going to be winning any Mister Congeniality contests any time soon," he remarked angrily. 

"Perhaps we should seek a way to go through the gate by force," Teal'c suggested. 

"Oh, the thought definitely entered my mind, but we'd be going in blind. We have no idea how large Soren's forces are or what weapons they have at their disposal. They've got the upper hand. Now, if we could send a ship over there, that would be a different story." 

Sam's face lit up. "What about the Al'Kesh, sir? With the modifications that Daniel did to it, we could reach Tegalus in no time." 

"Great idea, Carter. I will have to ask permission, though. The bigwigs are very possessive of that Al'Kesh." 

Jack contacted the president and filled him in on the newest developments. Though Hayes was worried about Daniel and wanted to do all he could to rescue the archeologist, he couldn't give permission to take the Al'Kesh without first discussing it with others. 

As they waited for word back from Hayes, Sam contacted Area 51 to make sure they hadn't taken the ship apart again. She learned that, though they were studying its systems, it was still all in one piece and would be ready to go within an hour's notice. 

All they had to do now was get the okay to use it. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel felt better when he awoke the next day, though he was still pretty weak, too weak to attempt to heal himself. The archeologist had to wonder about his rapid improvement, though. According to what Leda told him when he spoke to her again, he shouldn't even be conscious yet, let alone clear-headed. Was it possible that his healing abilities were working subconsciously, repairing the damage to his body? 

Regardless of whether or not that was the case, Daniel guessed that it would be at least another couple of days before he'd be strong enough to attempt to consciously heal himself. 

And what about after that? Leda had told him that she did not know the fate of the Stargate. If the bunker was destroyed, it could be hopelessly buried under the rubble. With Daniel's abilities, he might be able to dig it out, but if the DHD was damaged, he wouldn't be able to use the gate anyway. He could turn the ring manually, but he couldn't supply the power needed to generate the wormhole. 

So, if the gate was out of commission, his only hope would be that Earth would send a ship. But would they? Chances are that a lot of people on Earth believed him to be dead. That thought led to ones of Sam. Did she think he was dead? 

Daniel closed his eyes and concentrated on Sam, on the feel of her presence. He found that he could still sense her, though it was so faint as to be undetectable if he wasn't concentrating on it. Would it be possible to contact her? When Sam was stranded on the Prometheus, Daniel had managed to get through to her, if only briefly. Back then, Sam didn't realize what was going on, but if he succeeded in making contact this time, she would figure it out. 

Concentrating on the feel of Sam's presence, Daniel tried reaching out to her across the thousands of light-years that separated them. Minutes passed as he attempted to make contact, and for a brief moment, he thought he felt something. But then it was gone, and he couldn't get it back. 

With a sigh, Daniel opened his eyes. Maybe he'd try again later, when he was stronger. 

Daniel had to believe that Sam wouldn't give up the hope that he was alive, which meant that she was probably exhausting herself trying to figure out a way to save him. Even if the Stargate was still functioning, it would be under the control of Soren, and Daniel suspected that the man wouldn't let anyone come through the gate on a search and rescue mission. Which led back to the possibility of a ship being sent. Osiris' Al'Kesh could make it there pretty quickly. 

But Daniel couldn't count on a ship being sent. He had to get himself out of this situation. The moment he was healed, he would have to take steps to get back home. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Hayes called Jack the following morning. 

"I'm sorry, General O'Neill, but I can't give the okay to use the Al'Kesh. Not yet," he said. 

Surprised and dismayed by the president's statement, Jack had to curb his tongue with an effort. "I don't understand, sir. Why not?" 

"Because of the chance that the ship will be lost. It is the fastest and most technologically advanced ship we have. There is no telling when we will really need it for a vital mission." 

"Yes, like now." 

There was a pause. "General . . . Jack. What are the odds that Doctor Jackson is still alive?" 

"For the average person? Not so good. For Daniel? A hell of a lot better. Even if it wasn't for his penchant to survive situations that he shouldn't be able to, with his abilities, he'd have a lot better chance of getting out of something like that alive than any other human being." 

"All right, then let's say that he is alive. With those abilities, chances are that he will still be alive when the time comes that this Soren allows you to start searching. Doctor Jackson has the ability to heal himself, so, if he was injured, he could heal the damage." 

Jack was getting mad again. "And if he's lying unconscious somewhere, slowly dying?" 

The president did not respond. 

That's when Jack lost it. "I'm sorry, sir, but this really stinks. None of us would be alive if it wasn't for Daniel. We all owe him more than we will _ever_ be able to repay. Not only that, he is the greatest weapon we have against the Goa'uld, a whole hell of a lot more valuable weapon than that damn Al'Kesh. And you're just going to write him off?" 

"We are not writing him off, Jack. This decision was not made lightly, not by me and not by the others who had a part in making it. But we are not giving up on him. Give Soren the additional days that he asked for. If, at the end of that time, he still won't let you come through the gate, then you have my permission to take the Al'Kesh. That's the best I can offer." 

Jack knew that arguing further wasn't going to do any good. He had to accept the president's decision. "And how are we all going to feel, Mister President, if, when we do finally get there and find Daniel dead, we find out that we could have saved him if we'd gotten there just one day sooner?" 

Jack hung up the phone, not caring if Hayes took offense to it. He lowered his head into his hands. 

_'Dammit, Daniel. You should have come home. You should have listened to me. You damn well better be alive when we find you.' _

Feeling tired, Jack got to his feet and went to give Sam and Teal'c the bad news. He found Sam in her lab. 

"What?! I don't believe this!" Sam ranted when he told her. "After everything Daniel's done, this is the thanks he gets? I thought that Hayes was a good man. I guess I was wrong." 

"It wasn't just his decision, Carter. You know that." 

"He's the president. He could have gone over their heads. How can we just sit here and wait? What if Daniel needs us? What if he's lying under a pile of rubble somewhere, unconscious and running out of air? What if--" Sam's voice choked off, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She felt Jack lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"I know, Sam. I'm worried, too. But Daniel's a really hard man to kill. How many times has he proven that? I have to believe that he'll be all right." 

"I miss him," Sam said in a small, trembling voice, tears slowly leaking out of the corners of her eyes. "I love him so much, and I'm afraid I'll never see him again." 

Jack held out his arms. "Come here." 

Sam went into Jack's arms, her sobs finally breaking free. Jack held on and let her cry. 

_'You hear me, Daniel?'_ he said silently. _'You be alive. Don't you break her heart.' _

-------------------------------------------------- 

Though Leda thought that they should wait another few days, Daniel insisted that the bandages covering his eyes be removed. He needed to know if his eyes were damaged so that he could begin working on repairing them. 

Even knowing that he could heal himself if it turned out that he was blind, he was still feeling nervous as Leda removed the bandages. As the last of them were pulled away, he slowly opened his eyes. Everything was blurry at first, but then began to clear. 

"Give your vision a moment to adjust," Leda told him. "You haven't used it for a while. 

Daniel's eyesight cleared further. 

"How's that?" Leda asked. 

Daniel blinked a few times. "Better." 

Leda smiled at him. "Your eyes. It's nice to see them again." 

"Thank you, Leda, for taking care of me. I don't know how I can ever repay you." 

"You don't need to repay me, Daniel. With all that has happened, caring for you has helped me continue on." 

"How is Jared?" 

Something Daniel couldn't identify flickered across Leda's face. "He left early this morning. He wasn't well enough, but he insisted on going. He and the other soldiers who survived went to the city to search for survivors." 

"As soon as I'm physically able, I need to go into the city, too. I need to get back to my own world, or at least contact them and let them know that I'm okay." 

Daniel now knew for certain that the Stargate was still intact. He had used his abilities to find out its fate. It was still in the bunker, under heavy guard. 

"Trying to reach the Great Ring will be impossible," Leda stated. "The city is full of rebel patrols, and I have heard tell that patrols are spreading out beyond the city now. Even to leave the estate grounds would be dangerous." 

"Leda, I can't stay here. I need to go home." 

The woman did not say anything for a moment. "Do . . . you have someone?" 

Daniel's gaze grew distance, a small smile on his face. "Yes. Her name is Sam, short for Samantha." He met Leda's eyes. "I miss her." 

The archeologist could have sworn that he saw a tiny hint of sadness in Leda's eyes for a moment. Then she gave him a smile. "I'll let you get some more rest. Sleep, Daniel. You need it, even if you are healing extraordinarily fast." 

Daniel rested for the remainder of that day, allowing his body to regain the strength he knew he would need to heal himself. Leda talked with him a few more times, telling him a little about herself. The estate had belonged to her uncle, who willed it to her when he died not long ago. When the fighting reached the capital, Kane had insisted that she come here, figuring that she'd be safer. It was, in fact, some of her uncle's clothing that Daniel was wearing. The archeologist was glad that Leda hadn't gotten rid of it all yet since her husband's clothes would definitely not have fit him. The man was several inches shorter. 

Leda managed to coax a few things out of Daniel about himself. He told her about his education and friends, some things from his childhood and his life at the SGC, explaining a little bit about their battle with the Goa'uld. Mostly, though, he talked about Sam. 

"You love her very much," Leda observed. 

"Yes, more than I've ever loved anyone. I was married once. My wife died almost five years ago, and, for a long time, I thought that she was the only one I'd ever love. But then I realized that I'd fallen in love with Sam, and everything changed." 

"She must fear that you are dead." 

"Well, you see, I have this habit of not dying even in situation that would kill pretty much anyone else. Jack would refuse to believe I'm dead unless he saw the body . . . and, based on recent events, maybe not even then." 

Leda smiled. "You have led an exciting life." 

"Yes, you can definitely say that." 

When Daniel awoke the next morning, he decided that it was time to try and heal himself. He would target the most serious injuries first. In that way, if he grew too fatigued, he could stop and let himself recover before doing more. 

Closing his eyes, Daniel turned his abilities upon his own body, seeking and finding the damage within. One by one, he healed the injuries. He'd managed to heal most of the more serious damage when fatigue forced him to stop. 

Daniel brushed the sweat from his brow with a trembling hand. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, which told him that he'd done more than he actually should have. He smiled inside at the thought of how unhappy Janet would be with him right now. 

Exhaustion pulled Daniel into a deep sleep. When he awoke it was to see a worried Leda leaning over him. She smiled upon seeing him open his eyes. 

"I was worried. You have been sleeping for a long time." 

The archeologist looked out the window in an attempt to judge the time. "How long?" 

"It is well into the afternoon." 

"I guess I really _did_ overdo it," Daniel murmured. 

"Overdo what? Did you attempt to get out of bed without my help? You are not strong enough for that." 

Daniel thought about telling her the truth. He knew that, eventually, he would have to since she would see the evidence right before her eyes. But, judging by Gareth's and Kane's reaction to him when he told them that he could see the future, Daniel thought it would be best if he waited to tell Leda about his healing abilities until she had no choice but to believe him. 

"I'll be more careful and not strain myself again," he promised her. 

"Do you need any of the medicine for pain?" 

Daniel shook his head. He had been refusing the medicine right from the start. There were very little medical supplies to go around, and he didn't want to take some away from someone else who might need it, not when, if he had to, he had the ability to do something about his pain. Now that he'd partially healed himself, his discomfort had eased substantially. 

Daniel kept the promise he made to Leda and took it easy for the rest of the day. He waited until after she had gone to bed before resuming healing himself. Before he began the healing process, however, he tried again to contact Sam. This second time, though he wasn't completely certain, he was pretty sure that he managed to get through. But he got no response to his call. Perhaps Sam was asleep. He wasn't sure what time it was in Colorado. 

Daniel turned his attention to healing himself. Because he'd managed to already heal the worst of the damage, it was easier this time. Even so, the moment he started feeling the strain, he stopped. One more time, and he would be fully healed. And then he could turn his attention to getting back home. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Sam sat and watched the sun slowly rise above the mountains, painting the sky with soft hues of pink and yellow. The end of another night without Daniel, another night of nightmares filled with images of his crushed and broken body, or, worse, of him so hopelessly trapped that even his powers were of no use, a hand reaching out to her in supplication, only to finally fall lifeless to the ground. One of her dreams last night had been different from the others, but still upsetting. In it, she could hear Daniel calling out to her in desperation, but she was unable to answer him or find him. 

Sam had gotten very little sleep during these days that had passed since the war on Tegalus began. Janet was threatening to give her a sedative. Maybe she should take the doctor up on it. She was so tired that it was affecting her work. When Soren did finally let them come through the gate, she would be in no condition to go. 

Sam still hadn't gone home, with the exception of brief trips to pick up the mail and water her plants. She'd also gone to Daniel's house to get the mail and feed his fish. Jack had offered to do it for her, but Sam turned him down. When she got to Daniel's place, she tried to pretend that it was just another time when he was gone away on a mission for a few days, but it didn't work, and she had to leave before she started crying again. 

Sam kept telling herself that Daniel was alive, that they'd find him and he'd be okay, but the fear that he was dead was still there, like a wound deep in her heart. 

The lieutenant colonel heard a small sound and turned to see Teal'c walking up to her. 

"Hey," she greeted softly. 

The Jaffa sat on the log beside her. "Doctor Fraiser is most concerned about you." 

"I know." 

Teal'c looked up at the lightening sky. "I believe that Daniel Jackson lives," he stated with quiet conviction. 

Sam gazed at him. "Why are you so sure?" 

"Because I feel that he has a destiny that has not yet been fulfilled." 

Sam smiled slightly. "I didn't know you believed in destiny, Teal'c." 

The Jaffa met her eyes. "For most things, we are masters of our own destiny, but I believe that some of us, those of great importance, are destined for a purpose, and I feel that Daniel Jackson is destined to be the one who will strike the final blow against the Goa'uld." 

"I hope you're right, Teal'c." Sam turned back to the sunrise. "I want to believe that he's alive and that he'll be okay when we find him. I'm just really scared." 

"I know." He studied the dark shadows under her eyes. "You need to rest, Colonel Carter. You will be unable to help Daniel Jackson if you are too fatigued." 

Sam sighed tiredly. "I know." She got up from the log, as did Teal'c. "I think I'll go get that sedative from Janet." 

The Jaffa inclined his head, agreeing with her decision. Sam took a step away, then stopped and turned back to her teammate. 

"Thanks, Teal'c," she said with a little smile, his words having made her feel better. 

"You are welcome, Colonel Carter." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Tegalus' sun had been up for almost an hour when Daniel awoke. The various aches and pains in his body were virtually gone, but he knew that there was still a little bit of healing to be done. Deciding it would be best to do it now, before Leda came in with breakfast, Daniel closed his eyes. A short while later, he opened them, his body now completely healed. 

Discarding the sling that had cradled his left arm, Daniel got out of bed and stretched his muscles. He walked over to the window. He would have to start planning how he was going to get to the bunker. Simply marching straight into the city wouldn't work. Sure, he could probably handle any of Soren's men that he encountered, but, if a report got back to Soren about what Daniel was capable of, one of two things would happen: either the entire force of the rebels would be turned against him or they'd try to capture him. Either way, it would make getting to the gate a lot harder. 

While he was checking to see if the Stargate and DHD were still intact, he'd also learned that Soren was using the bunker as his command center. From what he'd seen, if it could be taken back, there was a good chance that the rebels could be overthrown. But for that, he'd want help. 

"Daniel, you should not be on your. . . ." Leda gasped as Daniel turned to face her. The breakfast tray slipped from her grasp and fell with a clatter to the floor. "Your face," she whispered. 

Daniel touched his face, which was no longer marred with partially healed wounds. 

"I'm sorry," he said, coming forward and kneeling to pick up the mess on the floor. "I should have told you before." 

"Told me what?" Leda knelt, her gaze darting across his features. "I don't understand. Your face is completely healed." She noticed the lack of a sling. "And your arm. You're using it without difficulty." 

"Yeah. I need to explain a few things to you." 

They finished cleaning up the mess, then went into the living room. 

"I guess there's no other way to say this than to just come right out and say it," Daniel began. "Leda, I have the power to heal both myself and others." 

The woman stared at him, her expression that of both amazement and a touch of disbelief. 

"I know that may be hard for you to believe, but it's true. I could have healed myself the day I first woke up, but I was too weak from my injuries. It takes a lot of energy to do it, and I had to wait until I was strong enough. I started the process yesterday, but I did too much at first. That's why I slept for so long. I'd sapped all of my strength. But I'm completely healed now. If you checked, you'd see that there's not a mark on my body." 

"I. . . . This is unbelievable. Do all your people have this ability?" 

"No, I'm pretty unique in that regard. I can't explain why I can do this. I'll just say that something happened to me that gave me certain abilities, one of them being this." 

"Then this is why you wouldn't let me give you any medicine for the pain and why you seemed to be healing so quickly?" 

Daniel nodded. "I didn't want you to use the medicine on me when there were others who would need it more. I figured that if the pain got really bad, I could do something to ease it myself. As for healing faster than normal, I can't be certain, but I think that my ability was working subconsciously ever since I was injured, causing me to heal much more quickly that a normal person would." 

"This is an amazing thing. You are very blessed to have this ability." 

"I have to agree. I've saved more than one life with it, including Sam's." 

"What will you do now?" 

"I need to return to the city and get to the Stargate." 

"But how will you do that? You are only one man. Soren has many men." 

Daniel paused. "There are things I can't tell you because it would be too hard for you to believe, but trust me when I say that I have the ability to get past Soren's men and down into the bunker." 

Leda searched his eyes for a long while. "I believe you, Daniel. How can I not when you're sitting there, fully healed, when, seven days ago, you were close to death? When will you leave?" 

"Tomorrow, I think. I'm going to have to be careful not to be seen by any of the rebel patrols, so it'll take me a while to get to the city, probably a day or two." 

"And once you get there?" There was a hint of fear in Leda's voice. Daniel knew that she was worried about him. 

"You said that Jared and his men were in the city. I'm going to try and find them. With their help and my . . . abilities, I'm pretty sure that we can capture the bunker. Once we have control, I can contact the SGC, and they'll send troops." 

"And then you'll go home." 

"Yes. But we won't abandon your people, Leda. We can help you rebuild. We can bring food and medicine. It's the least we can do considering that we're responsible for what happened." 

"Daniel, you are not to blame for this. There has been distrust between our country and Caledonia for generations. It was only a matter of time before something set it off. We did this to ourselves." 

Daniel did not say anything about the guilt he harbored for being unable to stop the destruction even though he'd seen it coming. 

He looked over at the window. "Would you like to go for a walk? I'd love some fresh air." 

Leda got a coat that had belonged to her uncle for him to wear, and the two of them went outside. They began walking down a wide, tree-lined dirt path. 

"More rebel patrols have been spotted in the area," Leda said. "Everyone is afraid of them." 

"They're zealots, fighting in the name of gods that they really know nothing about. They are deluded into thinking that they are justified in what they're doing, and anyone who doesn't share their beliefs is a danger." 

"How can you be sure that Soren and his followers aren't right? How can you know for certain that the gods they worship aren't. . . ." 

"Benevolent? Because I've met more than a few of them. Trust me. They're the opposite. And they're definitely not gods." 

"Then what are they?" 

"Short form? They're a parasitical alien race that steals advanced technology and rules via fear and intimidation. Have a penchant for melodrama. Trust me, if Soren ever actually met one, he'd be singing a different tune." 

"But you said you've fought them and won?" 

"Yes, we have. We've managed to kill several of them. But there are still many of them out there. 

"But there's hope, isn't there? You think what happened was your fault, but, from what you've told me, it was better that your people activated the Great Ring than the Goa'uld." 

Daniel couldn't help but think that, if it _had_ been the Goa'uld who came through the gate, the war would never have happened. The Goa'uld would have taken control of the planet and subjugated its people. Then again, maybe not. If the people of Tegalus had put up a fight, the Goa'uld might have simply sent a ship to wipe them out, which would have been even worse than what did happen. 

"I must admit that I will miss you when you leave," Leda said quietly. "I'd forgotten what is was like to have someone to talk to." 

Daniel gazed down at her as they continued walking. "What about your husband?" 

"When Jared became part of Commander Gareth's inner circle, he changed, became remote, distant. We never really talk anymore." 

"I'm sorry." He met Leda's eyes. "Don't give up on him, Leda, on what you have. When I fell in love with Sam, she told me that she didn't feel the same. There were times when I almost gave up on us ever being together, but I never quite lost all hope. Now, I have a fantastic life with her. As long as we're alive, there's hope." 

"Hope." 

"There's hope for your people as well, Leda. I promise that we'll do all we can to help you." 

She gazed up at him. "I believe you, Daniel. I won't give up hope." 


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The sun was just rising above the horizon as Daniel stepped out of the door. Leda was beside him. 

"There's bread, fruit and dried meat in here," she said as she handed him a small satchel, "as well as matches, a knife, a blanket and some other things I thought you might need." She then gave him a canteen of water. "That should be enough to last a couple of days." 

"Thank you." Daniel gazed at the woman, seeing the expression on her face. "It's going to be all right, Leda. I'll be fine, and I promise that I'll protect Jared as well as I'm able." 

Leda searched his eyes for a long moment, then took his hand in hers. "Be safe, Daniel." 

The archeologist gave her a parting smile, then turned away to begin his journey. As Daniel walked, he kept his senses open to the presence of any humans in the area. It was vital that he not be spotted by any of the rebels. If they saw him, there was no doubt that they'd question him, and Daniel doubted that he'd be able to make up a story that they'd believe, which meant that he'd have no choice but to kill them, something he really didn't want to have to do. 

Occasionally, Daniel came across people who lived in the area, most of whom ran away when they saw him. The look in their eyes haunted him, the desolate look of people without hope. It tore him apart to see it. 

Countless times, Daniel had tried to figure out what he could have done differently to keep this from happening. If he had just seen what was going to happen sooner, he might have had the time to stop it. If he could have made Gareth listen to him, the man would have increased security at the missile control facilities and may have prevented the capture of one of them. If Daniel had known that the facility taken by Soren's men was going to be right there in the capital city, he could have gone there and prevented it from happening. If. . . . Daniel's thoughts halted. All the 'ifs' in the universe weren't going to change what happened. All he could do now was help the people who had survived and try his best to stop Soren. And Soren did have to be stopped. Daniel had no doubt of that. The man must have known what would happen when he fired those missiles. He deliberately started the war. And, now, his troops were waging a campaign of terror on the survivors. In many ways, the man was equally as bad as the Goa'uld. In some ways, he was even worse. He had done this to his own people. 

It was early afternoon when Daniel heard a woman's scream. He ran toward the sound and saw that eight rebels had a man and woman on the ground. The arms of the man were being held behind his back by one rebel as another questioned him, hitting his face when the man apparently answered in a way the rebel didn't like. The scene infuriated Daniel. But if he took action, he'd have to kill the rebels to prevent them from reporting the incident. 

At that moment, the rebel holding the man's arms, let him go and backed away. The one who had been doing the hitting took hold of his rifle. Horrified, Daniel realized that they were going to kill the man. He could not let that happen. 

It was then that an idea struck the archeologist. The rebels had done this believing it to be the will of their gods. Perhaps it was time for the "gods" to tell them a thing or two. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Degan aimed his rifle at the man before him. His orders were to kill anyone whom they suspected to still be loyal to the old government. Shooting helpless civilians turned his stomach, but better that than face Soren's wrath if he failed in his duty. 

Before he could pull the trigger, there was a sudden roar behind the rebels. A wave of blistering heat struck them. Everyone spun around to witness a sight that sent terror racing through them. A tremendous fireball had appeared in midair, tendrils of flame writhing and coiling like serpents from hell. As the frightened men watched, a face began to form. Words of fire were written in the air. 

"You have offended me," the words said. "Soren is not doing the bidding of the gods. You will follow him no longer. Throw down your weapons and go. Harm no more survivors." 

It didn't take long for the rebels to make up their minds. Throwing down their weapons, they ran away like scared rabbits. 

The young couple that was about to be killed by the rebels cowered on the ground, eyes fixed upon the fire. As they watched, it slowly dissipated to reveal the figure of a lone man, who walked up to them. They shied away in terror. 

Daniel held his hands out before him. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." 

"A-a-are you one of the gods?" the man whispered. 

Daniel smiled gently. "No, I'm no god. That whole thing was just for the benefit of the rebels. Hopefully, they got the message and won't hurt any more people." 

"But . . . but the fire," the woman said in a shaky voice. 

"Um . . . yeah. That's a long story and too hard to explain. It's more important that you get out of here. There might be other rebels in the area. Do you live around here?" 

The man nodded in reply. 

"Then go home and stay there. Don't venture out unless you have no choice. If rebels come there, say whatever is necessary to make them think that you're harmless. I believe they're looking for people they think are still loyal to the former government, those who won't bow down to Soren. Make them think that you're willing to accept Soren's rule. They should leave you alone then." 

The couple got to their feet. 

"Who are you?" the man asked. 

"A friend," Daniel replied. "Now go, before more rebels come." 

The couple hurried away. After checking with his senses if anyone was else in the area, Daniel left as well, wondering what Soren would think if he ever found out that the "gods" had spoken and weren't happy with him. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

"Sir, we stopped radio jamming at the scheduled time so that the patrols could report in, but one of them has failed to contact us," one of Soren's men announced. "Eight men sent to patrol an outlying area east of the city." 

"Perhaps they encountered some surviving members of the military." 

"That's what I had thought, but another patrol came across what we believe to be their weapons, lying abandoned on the ground." 

Soren frowned. "Soldiers would have taken the weapons." 

"There is something else as well. Near the weapons, there was an area of scorched ground, as if it was exposed to fire or tremendous heat." 

"An explosive?" 

"There was no sign of an explosion. The earth was not damaged, only blackened from heat. The nearby grass was dry and brown." 

Soren walked away a short distance, puzzling over what this could mean. He turned back to the man. 

"If the missing patrol is found, I want them questioned." 

"Yes, sir." The man left the room. 

Soren turned to the map of Rand and Caledonia, putting what the man said out of his mind. Soon, Rand would belong completely to him. His eyes fixed upon Caledonia, knowing that the revolution would not be complete until that country was his as well. 

He thought about the off-worlders. From what he knew, their technology was superior to this world, including their weapons. With such weapons, he could conquer the Caledonians. Yes, perhaps it was time to speak with the people from Earth. They seemed very determined to find this Daniel Jackson. Though Soren was certain that the man was dead, he might still be useful. Soren would refuse to allow the off-worlders to search for him. Such would be a wise course of action regardless since he didn't want them to interfere with the subjugation of the survivors. 

Given enough time, the off-worlders might be willing to trade weapons for this man that they appeared to value so highly. 

With a smile, Soren gazed at the map, confident that a day would come when all of Tegalus would serve the gods--and him. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The four days were finally up. The instant they figured that Soren would be awake, Jack had the gate dialed. This time, Soren didn't bother coming to talk to them himself. After a wait of a few minutes, they were told by someone else that they could come to Tegalus tomorrow. Jack tried to insist that they be allowed to go there today, but the man wouldn't budge. Accepting Soren's terms, Jack had the wormhole shut down. 

"Another day," Sam said. "Daniel's already been trapped there for over a week. Who knows what's happened in that time." 

"Daniel Jackson is a man of great strength and resourcefulness," Teal'c stated, "and he has great skill in protecting himself." 

"Yes, but we all know Daniel," Jack said, "and how much you wanna bet that, if there's some way for him to do it, he's going to try to 'fix' this instead of keeping his head down and waiting for us to come get him?" 

That made Sam even more worried. "Alone? Even with his abilities, I don't see how he could take care of all the fundamentalists." 

"Carter, you're talking about the man who sent an army of Jaffa running away with their tails tucked between their legs, Al'Kesh, death gliders and all. If he's pissed off enough, an army of those religious nutcases sure wouldn't be able to stop him, and I'm betting that he's pretty damn pissed right now." 

"If he's still alive," Sam murmured. It got a little harder with each passing day to believe that Daniel was still alive. 

"He's alive," Jack stated firmly. "He's got to be." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The second day of Daniel's journey was far worse than the first. The closer he got to the city, the fewer people he saw--and the more bodies he found Some of the dead had clearly died of injuries sustained in the attack, but there were others who had been shot or stabbed. One had been hung from a tree. Daniel had cut down the body, and raised a cairn over it, wondering if the man had taken his own life or been yet another victim of the rebels. 

With each body that he saw, every person still living but with the spark of life doused from their eyes, Daniel's anger grew, along with the determination to put an end to Soren. He had encountered another rebel patrol and repeated his performance of the previous day. This time, however, one of the rebels opened fire. Daniel taught him a painful lesson by burning his hand and melting the barrel of his rifle. That was enough to send him and the others scurrying away. 

Daniel reached the outskirts of the capital city at mid-afternoon. He stopped for a rest in the ruins of an abandoned building. As he ate a late lunch, he thought about what he would do next. His first job would be to find Kane and his men. Though Daniel knew that he could probably take the bunker by himself, it would be a lot easier to take it and stay in control of it with help. Once they had taken the bunker, he would dial the gate and get in touch with the SGC. Jack would probably insist that Daniel come right home, but he was determined not to abandon the people of Rand. He had to make sure that the fundamentalists were no longer going to be a problem, though there would probably always be some around. 

Daniel had been thinking about what Leda told him, and he now knew that she was right. The SGC's activation of the Stargate on this planet may have been the spark that lit the fire resulting in this war, but they weren't the ones who started that war. The people of Tegalus had started down this path a long time ago when they allowed mistrust and political differences drive a wedge between Rand and Caledonia and then began stockpiling weapons. If they had not done that, this destruction would never have happened. Soren would not have had the power to virtually destroy both countries. He may have managed to overthrow the government of Rand, but that would have been the extent of it. And maybe, just maybe, if Rand and Caledonia had been on friendly terms, the Caledonians would have helped stop the fundamentalists. 

In the end, Leda was right. They had done this to themselves. All anyone could hope for was that both countries had learned a valuable lesson and would seek peace. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The terrified man was brought to the control room, babbling incomprehensibly about the gods striking them all down. 

"This one was found by a patrol," Joreth said. "He was a member of another patrol, but the ones who found him saw no sign of the rest of his unit." 

Soren scowled at the man. "Explain yourself." 

"The gods are coming," the man cried. "We have committed a sin against them, and they are angry. There was fire and flaming words written in the air. I did not believe, and they punished me for my defiance." 

"Look at his hand," Joreth instructed Soren. 

The leader of the rebels took hold of the frightened man's hand. It was badly blistered and reddened. 

The man grasped Soren's sleeve. "You must hear me, Soren. We must stop what we are doing and beg forgiveness or we will all die." 

Soren jerked his arm away and backed up a step. He pulled out his pistol and shot the man through the heart, watching emotionlessly as his victim crumpled to the floor. He turned to the people manning the various stations, who were staring in shock and uncertainty. 

"This one was weak, his mind polluted and unfit to serve the gods. We are doing their will. Do not doubt that. And, when they return, they will reward us for our service to them. All those who remain faithful to them will be rewarded." Soren looked back down at the dead man. "Take him away." 

As the body was dragged off, Joreth came up to Soren. "What about what he said?" 

"Ignore it. The man was mad." 

"And his hand?" 

"Most likely an accident or carelessness. It is of no consequence." 

Joreth nodded and turned away. As he left the control room, there remained a small doubt in his mind, the fear that the man had been right and that they were all going to pay for what they had done. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

His meal finished, Daniel made his way into the city. Now that he was finally here, he had to be very careful. It was likely that the capital was crawling with rebels. He just hoped that Kane hadn't run afoul of some and been killed. 

As the afternoon wore on, Daniel had to duck out of sight twice, choosing to hide this time instead of putting a fright into more rebels. The danger was too great that one of them would see him. 

There was perhaps an hour of light left when Daniel sensed a sizable group of people approaching. Yet again, he hid in a place that would allow him to see them. When they came into view, he recognized their uniforms as that of the Rand military. And then he saw Kane. 

"Kane," Daniel called out softly. Immediately, every one of the thirteen men aimed their weapons in Daniel's direction. 

"Who is it?" Kane called. "Show yourself." 

Daniel rose to his feet, hands in the air. "It's Daniel Jackson, Kane." 

The man stared at him, recognizing him. "Doctor Jackson? What are you doing here? Why are you not with Leda?" His eyes widened in surprise as Daniel came closer. "You're healed. How is that possible?" 

"It's a long story, and this is not the place for it. Let's go someplace where we can talk." 

Kane and his men took Daniel to the remains of a building with a basement that they had been using as a camp. 

"Is Leda all right?" Kane asked. 

"She was fine when I left." 

"And why did you leave?" 

"To get back to the Stargate." 

"The Stargate is under Soren's control. That bunker couldn't be taken by a small army, let alone one man. How do you think that you could get in and not be seen?" 

"Kane, there are things about me that you don't know, things that you won't want to believe, just like you didn't believe me when I told you that I could see the future. But everything I said came true, didn't it." 

Kane did not reply. He had thought about this more than once, wondering if this man really did have the ability of precognition or if it had all been just an incredible coincidence. 

"So, what are you saying?" he asked. 

"That I can get into that bunker, that I have the ability to take care of anyone who gets in my way." 

"How?" 

Daniel looked over at the far side of the room. Kane and his men gasped and drew back as a wall of fire sprang up. It spread into a half-circle around them, then was abruptly extinguished. No sooner was the fire gone, then a fallen support beam suddenly lifted into the air. It was turned upright and placed back in its original position, shoring up a piece of the ceiling. 

When Daniel turned back to the others, they were all gaping at him. 

"How is that possible?" Kane asked in a hushed voice. He stared at Daniel narrowly. "You're not human." 

"No, I am human, Kane, but something happened around two and a half years ago that resulted in me being . . . changed. I gained these abilities less than a year ago. If I had known where Soren was, I could have stopped him before he gained control of that missile control facility and prevented this from happening." 

Kane shook his head. "Even after seeing what you just did, I am still finding it hard to believe." 

"You're not the first one to react like that." 

Kane studied him intently. "How strong is your power?" 

"Strong enough that I could wipe out hundreds of Soren's troops, if I had to." He met the eyes of the chief aide. "But I would still like your help. I can take the bunker on my own, but holding it will be easier with you and your men. Once I get in touch with my people, they can send troops through. One way or another, we will stop the rebels." 

Kane turned away, his gaze going to his men, a tiny handful of what had once been a great military force. "I had believed that Soren had won, that there was no hope. But, if what you say is true, maybe there _is_ hope, a chance that we can take Rand back from Soren." 

"We can, Jared," Daniel assured him. "I swear that I'll do everything in my power to see that happen." 

Kane turned back around. He gave a short nod. "My men and I will help you however we can. How do you want to proceed?" 

"There won't be a moon tonight, right?" 

"Yes." 

"Unfortunately, that means it'll be too dark to move in on the bunker. With all the debris in the streets, someone could either get hurt or cause a racket that'll attract attention. We'll go at first light. Do you think we could get in the same way that you and I got out?" 

"It's possible. There is only a small force guarding that entrance. If we took them by surprise, we could make it inside before anyone else realized what was happening." 

"All right, then that's what we'll do." 

It was then that Kane realized something. "It was you. When the rebels attacked the bunker, the first men who came through were thrown up against the walls as if they'd been struck by a powerful force. You did that." 

"Yes." 

"Why did you stop? Why did you allow the bunker to be taken?" 

"Because I was telling the truth when I said that I could see the future. I had another vision, one that showed me that, if I kept the rebels from taking over the bunker, Soren would have destroyed it with a missile, killing everyone inside. There is a chance that I could have gotten to the Stargate before that happened, that maybe all of us could have escaped through it, but the gate would then have been buried in the rubble, the DHD destroyed." 

"And we could never have returned." 

Daniel nodded. "Soren would have been left unchallenged to do whatever he wanted with Rand." 

Kane gazed into his eyes. "Thank you. You risked your life in the hope that you could save us." The look in his eyes turned to regret. "I only wish that we had listened to you when you tried to warn us. Our refusal to believe you doomed our people." 

"There's no point in thinking about what we should have done, Kane. We need to focus on what we can do now." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Sam lay in the dark, the only light coming from the tiny nightlight in the bathroom of her quarters. Tomorrow, they would be going to Tegalus to talk to Soren. She and Teal'c were prepared to start searching for Daniel the moment the rebels gave them permission. But what would they find when they finally started the search? Sam had been trying to prepare herself for what she'd see. In their travels through the Stargate, they had seen the remains of cities decimated by war, but they had been wars fought many years ago, the bodies of the dead long gone. But what of the dead of this war? Did Soren and his troops bother to bury them or were they left to rot? 

And what if one of those bodies was Daniel's? Sam closed her eyes tightly, trying not to think about that. She knew what finding Daniel dead would do to her. It would destroy her. 

"Daniel, please be alive when we find you," she whispered. "Please. I can't bear the thought of living without you." 

Turning over and burying her face in the pillow, Sam prayed that, tomorrow, they would find Daniel alive and well. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Dawn was breaking when Daniel and the thirteen members of Rand's military headed out. It would take a while to get to the bunker, especially since, the closer they got, the more rebels there would be to avoid. Daniel had let Kane know that he could sense the presence of anyone nearby, which would enable them to hide before they were seen. 

Even before the sun had cleared the horizon, they had to hide once. 

"We've noticed that, as the days have passed, more and more of the rebels are being sent out into the areas beyond the capital, but there are many still in the city," Kane murmured as they hid behind a wall, waiting for some rebels in the distance to pass out of sight. "And the closer we get to the bunker, the more there will be. Sooner or later, we are going to be spotted." 

"What about the survivors here in the city?" 

"All those who were suspected of still being loyal to the old government were immediately executed." 

Daniel was not surprised to find out that his guess had been right. "Soren wants to continue the chaos, weaken resistance." 

"You're right. It would only have been a matter of time before those few who survived pledged their loyalty to him." 

"Well, that's not going to happen," Daniel stated firmly. 

They left their place of hiding a minute later, Daniel's senses alert for anyone in the area. They were just coming around the corner of a building when he sensed four men approaching. He signaled for everyone to hide, but as they turned, one of Kane's men tripped over a piece of lumber, causing several others to fall with a loud clatter. 

"Get inside," Daniel ordered, shoving the men in through an open doorway. They'd no sooner gotten through when the four men Daniel had sensed came running into view, their weapons ready to shoot anyone they saw. Knowing that the rebels would find them, Daniel took action. He psychically struck the men in the head, and they dropped senseless to the ground. 

"What did you do to them?" Kane asked. 

"Gave them all one hell of a headache. Come on. We need to get them out of sight and tie them up. This is going to cause a problem, though, when they fail to check in. We might have to pick up the pace." 

"All radio traffic is normally being jammed," Kane told him, "but we suspect that the jamming is being halted at least once a day so that the patrols can report into the bunker. We have no idea when that takes place." 

The four rebels were taken inside the building, tied up and gagged, then shoved into a closet. Daniel melted the doorknob so that, even if the men managed to escape their bonds, they wouldn't be able to get out. Their weapons were distributed among Kane's men. All but one of the radios were destroyed. Daniel kept that radio, turning the volume down as far as he could and still be able to hear it. He wanted to know when it was discovered that there was a missing patrol. 

Daniel and the others left the building and continued on their way, hoping that they'd make it to the bunker before all hell broke loose. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

"Dial the gate," Jack ordered. "It's time to wake Soren up." 

As the gate began to dial, Sam and Teal'c entered the control room, geared up and ready to go. 

"He damn well better not give us some excuse for not coming through," Jack said. "If he does, I swear I'm getting on the phone to the president and telling him we want that Al'Kesh now." 

When the gate connected, they were told that Sam and Teal'c could come through. A minute later, the two members of SG-1 at last set foot back on Tegalus. They were greeted by several armed rebels. 

"I'm Colonel Carter and this is Teal'c," Sam said, coming forward. "We're here to speak with Soren." 

"Soren is busy at the moment and cannot speak with you," said one of the men. "I will take you to where you can wait. You will have to surrender your weapons to us. They will be returned to you when you leave." 

Sam was tempted to demand that they be allowed to see the rebel leader immediately, but she was afraid that, if she ticked the man off, he'd make them leave. 

Unarmed, she and Teal'c were led to a room that looked as if it had been some kind of break room. They were told to wait there, and the door was shut, the distinctive sound of a lock clicking into place telling them that they weren't being given a choice about waiting. 

Settling into one of the chairs, Sam prepared to wait for as long as they had to. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel and the group of loyalist soldiers were making their way through a narrow alleyway when The archeologist suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Doctor Jackson? What is it?" Kane asked. 

Daniel turned to him. "Sam's here." He smiled. "And Teal'c, too. They must have just come through the gate." 

"How do you know?" 

"I can feel them. My ability to sense their presence is a lot stronger than with most other people." 

"Why would they come here?" 

"Probably to search for me. I'm betting that they've been trying to get Soren to let them come through right from the start." 

"So, what does this mean?" 

Daniel thought about it. Now that Sam was actually on the planet, he was pretty sure that he could make contact. It might even be possible that he could speak to her telepathically. If he could get a message to her, they just might be able to get some help from the SGC, hit Soren from two sides. 

Daniel was so distracted by his thoughts and the feel of Sam and Teal'c's presence that he didn't sense the approaching rebels until it was too late to hide. The six men came into view and immediately saw them. 

Striking with the speed of thought, Daniel yanked their guns from their grasp before they could get off a shot. The shocked men stood dumbly for a couple of seconds. That's all the time they were given before they were slammed to the ground by an invisible force too powerful to fight. 

Daniel and the others approached the men, who stared up at them with wide, frightened eyes. 

"Say good night," Daniel said as, one by one, he rendered the men unconscious in the same way that he had Sam when she was inhabited by Anubis. When he looked up, Kane and his men were staring at him, a touch of fear in their gaze. 

"Why don't you kill them?" Kane asked. 

"Because I don't have to. I have never intentionally taken a life that I didn't feel I needed to, and I don't intend to start now." 

"With the power you have, you could rule an entire world." 

"Yes, I probably could, but, unlike Soren, I have no desire to." 

The unconscious rebels were hidden out of sight. Daniel and the loyalists then found a place where they could also hide while Daniel made contact with Sam. 

The archeologist closed his eyes, reaching his mind out to the woman he loved. 

_'Sam,'_ he called in his mind. _'Sam, I'm here.' _

Half a mile away in the bunker, Sam was walking over to get some water when she froze at the sound of a ghostly whisper that tickled at her mind. 

"Colonel Carter, is there a problem?" Teal'c asked. 

Not replying, Sam stayed still, not sure if what she'd heard had merely been the product of her imagination. But then she heard it again, a voice that she'd know anywhere. 

_'Sam, it's Daniel. I'm alive.' _

"Oh, God," Sam whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Daniel." 

_'Sam, can you hear me?' _

_'Yes! Oh, Daniel. I was so afraid you were dead.' _

_'I know, but I'm all right. Sam, listen to me. I'm around half a mile from the bunker. I'm here with Jared Kane and twelve of his men. We're planning on attacking the bunker. You need to get back to the SGC and tell them. If Jack sends through some SG teams at the same time as we attack from this end, we can take care of Soren pretty quickly.' _

Putting aside her joy over Daniel being alive, Sam turned her mind to his plan. _'We can't leave, Daniel, not yet. We came here to talk Soren into letting us search for you, but he hasn't come to see us yet. At the moment, we're locked in a break room. Even if we could attract someone's attention, if we asked to leave, they'd get suspicious.' _

_'And you have no idea how long he'll keep you waiting?' _

_'None.' _

_'Well, I'd suggest that we wait, but that could cause a problem. We've had to disable two patrols so far, and, sooner or later, someone's going to discover that they're missing. When that happens, things are going to start heating up out here.' _

_'So, what should we do?' _

_'Hold on. Let me talk to Kane.' _

Sam opened her eyes to see Teal'c staring at her in puzzlement and concern. She gave him a brilliant smile. 

"Daniel's alive, Teal'c. He just spoke to me." 

The Jaffa smiled. "This is good news, Colonel Carter. What has he told you?" 

"He's with Jared Kane and some other men. They're planning on attacking the bunker." 

"Then we must aid them." 

"How? We're locked in here. Even if I had a gun to shoot the lock, Soren's men would come running the second they heard it." 

_'Sam?' _

Sam turned her full attention on Daniel's voice in her mind. _'Yes. I'm here.' _

_'Kane and I agreed that we shouldn't wait. We're going to head out now.' _

At that moment, the door to the break room opened, and a man with a goatee came walking in, several armed men behind him. 

"Colonel Carter. Teal'c. What a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you haven't been too terribly uncomfortable in here while you waited. It may interest you to know that, when my men brought you here, they did not mention that there are listening devices in this room." 

Horrified, Sam curse herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She should have assumed that they were under some kind of surveillance. What was she thinking talking aloud like that? 

"Although I do not know how it is that your Doctor Jackson contacted you, I heard you speak of his plans," Soren said. "They have no hope of taking this bunker, and, if they try, I will have both of you killed." 


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Sam and Teal'c glared at the rebel leader as he continued speaking. 

"If you are able to communicate with Doctor Jackson, I would suggest that you do so. Tell him that he and the loyalists are to surrender themselves to me. If they do not, both of you will be executed." 

Sam considered saying that she couldn't contact Daniel, but suspected that either he wouldn't believe her or he would kill her and Teal'c regardless if Daniel and the Kane's men attacked. 

Sam turned away from the man and closed her eyes. _'Daniel?' _

_'Sam, what's wrong? You stopped responding.' _

_'The room was bugged. Soren heard me tell Teal'c what you were planning.' _

_'Crap.' _

_'He's demanding that all of you surrender. If you don't, he'll kill us.' _

There was a moment of silence. _'Then we have no choice but to do what he says.' _

_'Daniel.' _

_'It'll be okay, Sam. I won't let Soren hurt you or anyone else.' _

The two of them talked for a while longer, then Sam turned to Soren. 

"He's agreed," she told the man. "They're on their way and should be here soon." 

Soren frowned. "How were you able to speak to him? You said not a word." 

Sam thought quickly. "We all have implants in our brains that allow us to communicate with each other silently. It translates brain wave patterns into the correct spoken words." 

Soren smiled slightly. "Your technology is amazing. But, if this is so, why did your companion not hear Doctor Jackson?" 

"Each device is set to a unique frequency, so you can only talk to one person at a time." 

"I see. Tell Doctor Jackson that they are to discard their weapons before they reach the bunker." 

Sam passed on the message. 

"Come with us. We will await their arrival in the control room." 

Sam and Teal'c were taken to the control room. Not much time had passed when it was reported that Daniel and thirteen loyalists had surrendered themselves at the entrance to the bunker. A short while after that, the group was brought into the control room. They were immediately surrounded by the people staffing the bunker, guns trained on them. 

Soren stepped up to Daniel. "So, you are Doctor Jackson, the man whom your fellow off-worlders were so determined to find." The rebel's eyes passed over the thirteen members of the Rand military. "You should not have allied yourself with these men who defy the gods." He returned his gaze to Daniel. "For that, I should have you put to death, but doing so would most likely bring down upon us the wrath of your people, something I cannot afford at this time. No, instead, I will demand that, in exchange for your life and the lives of these two," he gestured at Sam and Teal'c, "your people will give us weapons." 

"What do you want more weapons for?" Sam asked. "You've already got control of the country." 

"The revolution is not yet complete." 

"You want to take control of Caledonia, too," Daniel immediately guessed. "So, what happens if our people refuse?" 

"Then you will remain our prisoners until they do. If they never agree, then, once our situation here is more stable, you will be executed. You will be an example to all that those who defy the gods will be brought down. But, before then, you will watch as these loyalists are shot for their crimes." 

"Sorry, but I can't let that happen," Daniel stated. 

Soren gave him an arrogant half-smile. "Oh? And how do you intend to stop me?" 

A second later, the weapons that the rebels held were wrenched from their grasp and went flying right into the hands of Kane's men. Everything in the room began to shake, as if there was an earthquake. And then there was fire, blazing all around them. Cries of terror came from the throats of the fundamentalists, who looked for a way to escape, but found themselves trapped, the only way out blocked by the flames. 

Soren looked all around them. He did not understand what was happening. It was as if the gods themselves were lashing out in anger. No! That could not be! He was their faithful servant. He was doing their will. 

As quickly as it sprang up, the fire died. In the silence that followed, Daniel stepped toward Soren. The man reached for his pistol, but it never cleared the holster. The off-worlder lifted his hand, and Soren found himself forced to his knees by an unseen power. He looked up into the angry eyes of the man standing over him. And that's when he realized the truth. 

"What are you?" he asked. "Only the gods could have such power." 

"I've killed or helped kill more than one of your so-called gods, Soren," Daniel replied scornfully. "They're not gods, just parasitical creatures that rule through fear and superstition and with the help of advanced technology. Their power is false. Mine, however, is not." Daniel looked at the other rebels. "And I could use it to kill every one of you in an instant." He looked back down at Soren. "Contact your men outside and tell them that the rebellion is over, that they are to return here, unarmed." 

Amazingly, Soren's arrogance returned. "We will not betray our gods. We will fight to the de--" His voice broke off with a choking sound. Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he pitched forward to lie still. That was enough to make the other rebels fall to their knees and bow their heads to the ground in what appeared to be a position of worship. Daniel didn't like seeing it and was tempted to tell them to get up, but it was safer to leave them like that. 

Kane looked around at the terrified fundamentalists. He understood their fear. When Daniel had told him that Soren was aware of their intentions and demanded their surrender, he had believed it was the end. But Daniel had come up with a plan, a way to use Soren's knowledge of them to their advantage. Even having witnessed what the archeologist could do, Kane had wondered if the plan could succeed. Watching Daniel use his abilities to disarm and then frighten the rebels into submission had been a little terrifying. 

"What now?" Kane asked after ordering his men to keep an eye on the captive fundamentalists. 

"Now, we take care of the rebels that are in the rest of the bunker," Daniel replied. "Then we call the SGC and get some more troops here." 

Three loyalists were left to guard the captured rebels as everyone else left the control room. With the aid of Daniel's abilities, it didn't take long to subdue the remaining rebels in the bunker and those guarding the entrances. All of the newly captured rebels were then locked in a room. 

With the exception of Soren, who was still unconscious, the rebels who had been taken captive in the control room were herded out of the room to be put with the other prisoners. As Daniel looked on, he remembered something. He strode up to one of the rebels, who cowered away from him. 

"Is radio jamming stopped on occasion so that the patrols can check in?" he asked. 

The man nodded. 

"When is the next time that's supposed to be done?" 

"I-I don't know. The schedule changes every day." 

Daniel looked around at the others. "Does anyone know?" 

Someone else answered. "Only Soren and a few others know the schedule." He pointed at one of the other men. "Joreth would know." 

Daniel stared at the man the other had pointed to. "Well?" 

Joreth met the piercing blue gaze of the off-worlder. He knew that Soren would defy this man and not tell him the schedule, but Soren would gladly die in the service of his gods. Joreth didn't think his faith was that strong, _definitely_ not strong enough to suffer the kind of death that he knew this off-worlder could inflict upon him. 

"The time that we were supposed to contact them is already past," he answered. 

"Do the patrols know the schedule?" 

"No. It is changed every day. Soren wanted to be sure that the loyalists didn't take advantage of the break in the jamming to plan an attack with others." 

"All right, then we need to do it now, before any of the patrols get suspicious." 

Daniel addressed the first man he had spoken to. "Do you know the procedure?" 

"Yes, sir." 

While the rest of the rebels were taken away, Daniel had the man sit in the chair before the radio and contact the patrols. One by one, the patrol began checking in, most saying that they had nothing to report. A few mentioned various problems that they ran into. As Daniel had already known would happen, two patrols did not check in, the ones he and Kane's men had captured. Daniel had the man at the radio report to the others that those two patrols had been killed by loyalists. 

After all the patrols had reported in, the radio jamming was resumed, and the man at the radio was taken to the room where the other rebels were being kept. 

"Okay, I guess it's time that we call home," Daniel said. He, Sam and Teal'c headed for the Stargate. As they entered the room, Sam abruptly turned to Daniel and hugged him tightly, having ached to do so from the moment she laid eyes on him. 

"You have no idea how scared I was," she murmured against his shoulder. "I don't ever want to go through that again." 

"Though I had confidence that you lived, I, too, was concerned for your welfare, as was General O'Neill," Teal'c stated. 

"I'm really sorry I put you guys through that," Daniel said. He looked at Sam, who still had an arm around his waist. "I tried to contact you a couple of times. The first time was four days ago. I almost got through then, but it didn't work. I tried again two days later, and I thought I succeed, but I didn't get a response."

Sam realized that Daniel _had_ gotten through that first time. "Then it _wasn't_ my imagination," Sam said. "For just a second, I thought I felt something, but it was gone so fast that I didn't think it was real. That must have been the first time you tried. I don't know about the second time." 

"I think it's possible that you might have been asleep." 

Sam's eyes widened. "I had a dream in which you were calling out to me, but I couldn't find you. That must have been it. I wished I'd realized that it was you trying to contact me. It would have saved me days of being scared out of my mind that you were dead." 

Daniel caressed her cheek and gave her another kiss. "Come on. Let's give Jack the good news." 

Teal'c was standing at the DHD. "I would also like to express my pleasure that you are alive and well, Daniel Jackson," he said. "We have been greatly concerned for your welfare." 

"Thanks, Teal'c." 

With a sense of satisfaction, Daniel dialed Earth. As the wormhole connected, SG-1 stepped over to the MALP. 

"Stargate Command, this is Colonel Carter," Sam said. 

"Carter," Jack responded. "How's it going over there?" 

Sam smiled, looking at Daniel. "Much better than expected, sir." 

"Hey, Jack," Daniel greeted. 

There was a brief pause, then, "Daniel? Hey. Good to hear your voice. You okay?" 

"I'm fine, Jack, but I'd like to ask a favor." 

"Name it," the general replied immediately, surprising Daniel. 

"Well, we've taken control of the bunker, but there's still a substantial rebel force in the rest of the city and beyond. We could use some help here." 

This time, there was a pause. "This isn't our fight, Daniel." 

"It's _my_ fight, Jack, and I'm not leaving until it's over." 

Jack sighed. "All right, Daniel. I'll send some men through. Expect them in an hour." 

"Thanks, Jack. I'm looking forward to coming home." 

"So are we." 

Jack watched the wormhole disconnect. He gave orders for every available SG team to prepare for the mission, then he went to his office. 

Safe from the prying eyes of others, Jack let his cool exterior crack open. A big smile filled his face. 

"Yes!" he cheered with muted enthusiasm. "I _knew_ you had to be alive." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

His hands tied behind his back, a now conscious Soren glared at everyone from his position on the floor. Even in the face of complete defeat, there was still an air of arrogance about him. Teal'c was guarding him at the moment. 

"Your Doctor Jackson should have killed me," Soren said. "For as long as there is breath in my body, I will fight in the service of the gods." 

"You are fortunate that Daniel Jackson did not kill you. I have seen with my own eyes the aftermath of his rage. If he had turned it upon you, you would be nothing more than a burnt husk." 

"Yes, his power is great, but he is nothing compared to the gods." 

"Daniel Jackson killed one of the beings you worship as gods with as great an ease as you could crush an insect. I have witnessed him destroy spaceships, defeat armies. With a mere thought, he could have you writhing in pain, begging to die. Your rebellion is at an end, and, in time, your gods will all be destroyed." 

"The gods are immortal and all-powerful. They cannot die." 

Teal'c smiled slightly. "Then why is it that they do not help you? If they are truly all-powerful gods, then they would know of your plight and come to save you, a faithful servant." 

"They have chosen me to be their warrior. If I am to die in the battle, then it is their will." 

Knowing that nothing he said would penetrate through the man's fanaticism, Teal'c simply said, "You are a fool," then nothing more. 

A short while after that, one of Kane's men took over for Teal'c, and the Jaffa joined Daniel, Sam and Kane to discuss the best way to take care of the remaining rebel troops. Though having control of the bunker and Soren in custody was a tremendous victory, there was no guarantee that the other rebels wouldn't attempt to take back control. Daniel knew that, if that happened, Kane and his twelve men wouldn't be able to maintain control of the bunker forever, which was why they needed to deal with the rebels who were still out there. 

As promised, five SG teams came through the gate an hour after the SGC was contacted. What surprised SG-1 was that Jack was with them. 

"Sir?" Sam said questioningly. 

"I decided that this was the perfect opportunity for me to exercise my rights as base commander and tag along," Jack responded. 

"So, who's minding the store?" Daniel asked. 

"Reynolds. He'd rather have come with us, but I needed somebody in charge that I could really count on in an emergency." 

Jack walked up to Daniel and, much to the archeologist's surprise, wrapped him in an embrace, patting his back heartily. 

"It's good to see you, Daniel," the general said as he drew away. 

Daniel smiled. "It's good to see you, too." 

"So, tell me what happened." 

Daniel gave his friend a quick rundown of everything that took place, culminating with their capture of the bunker. 

"When Soren demanded that we surrender and come to the bunker, I realized it was the perfect opportunity for us to get in here without having to fire a single shot," he explained. "I knew that I could take care of anyone in the control room." 

"And give them all one hell of a fright in the process," Jack said. "Good work. So, where's this Soren fella?" 

"We'll take you to him, sir," Sam replied. 

SG-1 and Jack went to the bunker. 

"Well, hello there, Soren," the general greeted. "How ya doin'? I'm General O'Neill." 

The rebel leader had that insufferably arrogant little smirk on his face again. "General. It is clear that your world is one full of sinful unbelievers as well. The gods will punish you, just as, through me, they punished the unbelievers of this world." 

"Oh, get off your high horse, Soren. The 'gods' had nothing to do with what you did here. You did this all on your own. We've gone up against those gods of yours more than once when they tried to pick on Earth, and we beat them every time. We'll do it again next time, too. And they sure aren't going to help you. In fact, they've probably forgotten all about your planet, most likely because it doesn't have anything they want anymore. The Goa'uld don't give a damn about you or any other human being and would gladly wipe you all out if it suited their purposes." 

"Many have sought to sway us, but our faith is unshakable. In the end, the gods will be victorious." 

Jack rolled his eyes. "I thought you were a smart man, Soren, but, though you're apparently a good tactician, you're also an idiot . . . whom I see no point in wasting any more time on." 

Leaving the rebel leader to obsess about the power of his "gods", Jack and SG-1 went to talk with Kane. The loyalists and the forces from Earth gathered in a room that had around three dozen folding chairs facing the front of the room, where there was a pull-down map and a chalkboard. 

Once the others had taken a seat, Jack stepped to the front of the room, facing them. "Since, from what I've been told, Colonel Carter, Doctor Jackson and Jared Kane have already put together a plan of attack, I will hand the briefing over to them." 

Sam, Daniel and Kane took his place. 

"Okay, we figure that there are probably rebel forces in a number of major cities throughout the country," Daniel began. "Obviously, we can't get them all, so we're just going to focus on those here in the capital city and the surrounding area, which I suspect is where the greatest number of rebels are. Since we can't possibly go looking for them, our plan is to draw them here." 

"The rebels all carry radios," Sam said. "We're going to send them a false message, telling them that the bunker is under attack and reinforcements are needed. We will set up teams in key positions around the area so that when the rebels arrive, they can be captured." 

Kane took over. "They're likely not going to come all at once since their numbers are so widely scattered, so it's important that none of the rebels coming in figure out what's happening. They may escape if they do." 

Details of the plan were discussed. A map of the capital city was pulled out, and the troops were divided into four-man teams, which were assigned positions on the roofs of buildings all around the bunker, affording them the best view of the area and the ability to neutralize any rebel forces, if necessary. It would not be their job, however, to capture the rebels. That would be up to Daniel. To reduce the possibility of a firefight that could result in casualties among the SG forces and Kane's men, it was agreed that the rebels would be allowed to get close enough to the bunker that Daniel could deal with them. Only in the event that any of the rebels escaped would the men on the roofs take action. 

The same rebel who had manned the radio before was brought back out. Soren was then put in with the rest of the captured rebels, and Daniel melted the lock so that there was no chance they could escape. As he returned to the control room, there was the sound of gunfire outside. This was expected and a part of the plan. Since it might cause the rebels already in the city to get suspicious if the place was too quiet when the call came over the radio that the bunker was under attack, Jack had come up with the idea of playing a recording of gunfire over a loudspeaker. Normally, such a thing might take a while to get, but there happened to be a war sound effects CD in the base library, someone's idea of a joke. It was sent through the Stargate, along with a large, portable player borrowed from one of the personnel and several other things. 

Daniel stepped up to the rebel at the radio, who was guarded by one of Kane's men. "Okay, I want you to stop the radio jamming and send a message over the radio that the bunker is under attack by loyalist troops and that all teams are to return here. Make it sound convincing." 

Jack looked into the man's eyes. "Just imagine what Daniel here will do to you if you screw up." 

The terror in the rebel's eyes escalated, and he nodded his head rapidly. He turned to the radio, and, with the right touch of fear in his voice, said, "All teams! The bunker is under attack! We need reinforcements. Return at once!" 

"Command Base, who is attacking?" asked one of the rebels. 

"Loyalist troops. We are under siege. Return immediately!" 

Daniel motioned for him to cut the transmission. "Do not resume jamming. If any more calls come in, I want you to keep up the act." 

"Yes, sir." 

Daniel looked at Jack. "Okay, let's go." 

SG-1 and their former team leader left the bunker. Everyone else was already in position and awaiting the arrival of the rebel forces. Jack and SG-1 positioned themselves on the roof of the building holding the bunker, which would afford them a good view of the immediate area. The roof had been badly damaged, but Daniel had reinforced it with lumber taken from other damaged buildings in the area. 

"General O'Neill, this is Team 3. A group of nine rebels is approaching from the east in area Delta 5," announced one of the SG teams just a few minutes later. 

"Okay, keep reporting their position. If any of them split off from the group, inform us immediately." 

Daniel was focused on detecting the presence of the approaching rebels. He felt them a few minutes later. 

"They're almost here," he told the others. 

A short while after that, the men came into view. Daniel struck immediately. The weapons were wrenched from their hands and went sailing through the air to land several yards away. Stunned, the rebels stared at their suddenly empty hands and each other. 

Before they could consider fleeing, they found themselves surrounded by a ring of fire, which 'herded' them out into the open, where they were taken captive by an SG team. 

"Well, that was easy," Jack commented. "But how many times are you going to be able to do that before you start overdoing it?" 

"It all depends on how much of a rest I get between each time. That took very little effort. I kept the fire as low as possible. I won't always have to do it that way. If the rebels are in the right position and I can see them clearly enough, I can simply knock them out." 

The next several hours passed as rebels continued to come. Only twice did anyone manage to escape from Daniel's trap, and those men were quickly brought down by one of the lookout teams. By nightfall, over a hundred and fifty rebels had been captured or killed. 

Several pairs of night vision goggles had been sent through the gate. Two teams remained on the roof to keep an eye out for any rebels who might try to sneak up on the bunker during the night. 

"So, how many do you think are left?" Jack asked as he, his former teammates and Kane sat eating their dinner in the break room. 

"There's no way to tell," Kane replied. "We know that quite a few of Soren's forces are still in the city, but we don't have exact figures on how many are in the areas beyond." 

"The fundamentalists originally numbered well into the thousand," Daniel said, "but the majority of them would have been killed in the missile attacks on the cities, especially since they were in the midst of fighting with Rand forces when the war began. I doubt there are very many left." 

"If the remaining rebels are wise, they will use the cover of darkness to draw closer to the bunker," Teal'c stated. 

"It's overcast tonight, and last night was a new moon, which means that it will be pretty dark," Daniel responded. "With all the debris, they might not want to chance it." 

"Yeah, but we're talking about fanatics here," Jack said. 

"True." 

"If we get a force of a couple hundred or more rebels hitting us all at once, it's going to be harder to handle them," Sam pointed out. 

"I should still be able to handle it without having to kill them all. Actually, I think it would be better if they did hit in large numbers. That way, we won't have to sit out there all day tomorrow, waiting for them to show up a few at a time." 

"Could we not encourage the rebels to do so by contacting them via radio?" Teal'c asked. 

"Hey, now there's an idea," Jack said. "We have that guy get on the radio and tell everyone that's still out there to gather their forces and make a big attack in the morning. Then we take care of all of them at the same time." 

"We'd have to stage a realistic battle outside the bunker," Sam stated. "If they didn't see fighting going on, they'd get suspicious." 

Jack grinned. "No, I have a better idea." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The large force of rebel soldiers cautiously made their way through the blasted remains of the city. They had been ordered last night to gather in force and attack the bunker at dawn to overwhelm the loyalists with their superior numbers. Throughout the night, continually more rebels had joined them from all over the region. 

Just as they were heading out, they had received a frantic call that the loyalists had breached the outer defenses of the bunker and that the fighting was now going on inside. The control room was still secure, but there was a danger that it would fall as well. 

Their senses alert, the rebels approached the bunker. As it came into view, they saw bodies scattered about, both those of rebels and loyalists. The sound of fighting going on inside was intense. The entrance to the bunker was wide open and, for the moment, appeared unguarded. 

Deciding that a full frontal assault would work best, the rebels attacked. They were perhaps twenty yards from the bunker when loud explosions made them spin around to look behind them. They watched two buildings, one on each side of the street, topple over with a tremendous roar, entirely blocking the street and their avenue of escape. 

Realizing it was a trap, the men made a break for the shelter of the structures to either side of them, but, before they could get there, an impassable wall of fire exploded upward between them and the buildings. It spread with frightening suddenness in both directions, completely cutting off access to every structure between the collapsed buildings behind them and the bunker before them. The door of the bunker abruptly closed. 

"You are trapped," said a loud voice. "You cannot escape. If you do not surrender, you will be killed. The fire that surrounds you can consume you in an instant, and there are men all around you who will shoot anyone who seeks to escape. Throw your weapons into the fire and raise your hands in the air." 

For several seconds, the rebels did not comply, looking around for the enemy. But they could not fight what they could not see, so, gradually, the men began doing as they were ordered. A small group of them decided to try for an escape and ran for the collapsed buildings blocking the road. They'd gone only a few yards when a hail of bullets rained down all around them. That was the last straw for the rebels who, unlike Soren, weren't all that willing to die for their gods. Everyone surrendered. A moment later, the fire guttered out. Emerging from the buildings that had been blocked by the fire was a surprisingly small number of armed men dressed in unfamiliar clothing. 

"Don't attempt to fight these men," the voice said. "The fire that held you prisoner before is completely at my command and can kill any one of you." 

Apparently in demonstration of the man's claim, columns of fire suddenly sprang up here and there, close enough to singe the hair of some. Terrified of this man who appeared to have an unnatural power over fire, all of the rebels went to their knees, clasping their hands behind their heads. 

Up on the roof of the bunker, Daniel lowered the bullhorn and closed his eyes, rubbing a temple with his fingers. 

Jack noticed the action. "Hey, you okay?" 

"Yeah, that was just a lot of fire to create and control." 

"It did help using the buildings to block the street, though, didn't it?" 

"Yes, it did. It was that much less fire that I had to generate. Those charges were planted perfectly." 

"Yep, Sawyer definitely knows a thing or two about demolition. Actually, I think he blew up buildings for a living before joining the Marines." 

Jack looked back down at the rebels, whose hands were being bound by two SG teams and most of Kane's men, who were dressed in SG gear. The remaining SG teams came down from the roofs and aided in the arrest. 

The general's gaze moved to the "casualties" on the ground directly below them. The bodies were some of the previously captured rebels, who had been rendered unconscious, splashed with blood--courtesy of the SGC infirmary--and placed there to play dead. Some had been dressed in the uniforms of Kane's men. A few of the bodies really were dead, the handful of rebels who had been killed the previous day. 

Once all of the rebels were subdued, Jack insisted that Daniel rest. He didn't argue. 

"So, do you think we got all of them?" Jack asked a while later as he, SG-1 and Kane sat at a table. Yet another batch of prisoners had just been brought in, the two rebel patrols that Daniel and Kane's men had captured yesterday morning. After over a day of being bound and gagged and locked in a room, the men hadn't put up any resistance. 

Kane shook his head in answer to the question. "It's likely that there are still some out there in the area around the capital city." 

"Well, I know of some for sure," Daniel said. 

"Oh?" Jack inquired. 

Daniel told them about his encounters with the rebels on his way to the capital. 

Jack smiled. "Oh, I'd have loved to see that. You probably scared the crap out of some of them." 

"Even if there are still a few dozen fundamentalists out there in the outlying areas around the capital, it won't be enough to worry about," the archeologist stated. "And with Soren a prisoner, they'll have no leader." He turned to Kane. "I'd recommend that you make an announcement over the radio that you have control of the bunker and both Soren and most of the rebels in captivity. The remaining rebels would probably assume that you have a much larger force than you really do and decide it wouldn't be wise to attempt an attack." 

"Speaking of Soren and the other prisoners, what are you going to do with them?" Jack asked. 

"Soren will be executed for his crimes, as will his lieutenants," Kane replied. 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Daniel asked. "You might be making martyrs out of them." 

"They must be punished for what they've done. And, as long as Soren lives, some of the other fundamentalists may seek to free him. Once he is dead, I'm hoping that whatever rebels are left out there will not bother us again." 

"And the rest of the prisoners?" Daniel asked. He hated the idea of all the hundreds of rebel prisoners being put to death. So many people had died already. 

"We do not have prisons to hold so many," Kane said. "Even if we did, we would not have the means or ability to guard and care for them. I do not even know how we will feed and care for those who were left homeless by the attack." 

"We can help with that, Kane," Daniel told him, "and we can help you rebuild." He thought of something. "As for the prisoners, I may have an idea." 

"What's that?" Sam asked. 

"K2R-590." 

The lieutenant colonel smiled. "That might work." 

"What is K2R-590?" Kane asked. 

"It's a planet where the Stargate is on a very small island," Daniel replied. "There's fresh water and some vegetation, but not much else. A camp for the prisoners could be set up there. We could provide them with enough food for a couple of months or so, long enough to make arrangements to imprison them here." 

Sam nodded. "I could rig the DHD with a timer that would disable it after you got all the prisoners there. That way, there'd be no chance that they could figure out how to dial out. I could train your people how to repair it for when you go to get the prisoners." 

Kane nodded. "Very well." 

It took most of the rest of the day to get enough food and supplies sent through from Earth for the prisoners, then to transport them to K2R-590. Before sending the rebels through, Sam rigged a tiny explosive inside the DHD that would cause just enough damage to disable it but not so much that it couldn't be quickly repaired with the right tools and materials. 

While all that was going on, Jared Kane began attempting to contact other survivors in the Rand military. By late afternoon, they'd found several dozen scattered throughout the country, who said that they would begin making their way to the capital city. It was hoped that there were still more out there who would eventually come to the capital once it was safe. 

The sun was setting as Soren and thirteen of the prisoners were taken from the room they'd been kept in. Some of the men were those that the other rebels had identified as having positions of authority among the fundamentalists. The others were ones that had been named as individuals who showed particular brutality in dealing with survivors. The fact that the other rebels revealed this information to the loyalists and off-worlders enraged Soren, and he told all of them that the gods would punish them. But those rebels were no longer so sure about the gods Soren was so fanatical about. What they _were_ sure about was the power possessed by Daniel, a power that they feared a lot more than claims of retribution by gods they'd never seen. Many of the men were now regretting what they had done, realizing that they'd allowed a madman to lead them into committing a horrible crime against their own people. 

The fourteen men were taken into an empty room and lined up along the wall. That's when they realized what was going to happen to them. Some begged for their lives, others said nothing, perhaps choosing to die with honor. Soren stood tall among them, the arrogant smirk never leaving his face. 

Jack and SG-1 stayed outside the room. Daniel turned to Kane. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" 

"These men nearly destroyed our world, Doctor Jackson. As long as they live, they are a threat to us, especially Soren." 

Kane joined the rest of his men in the room and shut the door behind him. 

Jack took Daniel's arm. "Come on, Daniel. Let's go home." 

As they walked away, they all heard the sound of rifle shots from the closed room. It was over. Soren and his plans for a new world order were dead. 

SG-1, Jack and two of the other SG teams gathered at the Stargate. They were joined a moment later by Kane. No one spoke of the execution. 

"The other teams will remain here for a couple more days to make sure there's no more trouble," Jack told the man. 

"We'll send through food and medicine," Sam said, "and some medics and other people to help." 

Daniel met the man's eyes. "Jared, you need to establish communications with Caledonia, try to forge peace. The hostilities between you have already cost far too many lives." 

"Yes, I know. Doctor Jackson, you need to understand that what happened wasn't your fault. We have no one but ourselves to blame for this." 

Daniel only nodded, not answering Kane's statement. He dialed the gate. As the wormhole was established and the other SG teams started going through, the archeologist turned back to Kane. 

"Say goodbye to Leda for me. Give her my thanks for everything." 

"I will. And thank _you_, Doctor Jackson. You gave our country back to us. It would not have been possible without you." 

With a final goodbye, Daniel stepped through the Stargate with his friends. 


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jack decided to postpone the debriefing until the morning, after they'd all gotten some rest. He ordered everyone to go home and get a good night's sleep.

That night, Sam and Daniel did not make love at first. Instead, Daniel established the link, and they spent a long time just touching and kissing, filling the places in their hearts that had been empty while they were apart. For nearly two hours they did this, until at last, their touching turned into slow, gentle lovemaking.

They were now wrapped tightly in each other's arms. Sam's head was on Daniel's chest, and she was listening to his heartbeat.

"I was so scared," she said after a while. "I kept trying to tell myself that you were alive, but I was so afraid that you weren't."

Daniel pulled her even tighter against him. "I know. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, Sam. I'd have made it to the bunker sooner if I hadn't been injured in the attack. It took a few days for me to regain enough strength to heal myself."

"Where were you during that time?"

"In a house several miles outside the city. Leda, Jared Kane's wife, was taking care of me."

"Oh, so _that's_ who Leda is."

Daniel smiled, looking down at her. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"Nope," Sam replied, smiling.

Daniel lifted an eyebrow. "No?"

"Uh uh. I know that I have absolutely no reason to be jealous, even if she was drop dead gorgeous."

Daniel pulled her closer. "You're absolutely right. You will never have a reason to be jealous over another woman. There's room in my heart for only one woman." He kissed Sam gently.

"I should hope so," she responded. She then snuggled back into him. It wasn't long afterward that they both fell into a contented sleep.

--------------------------------------------------

The debriefing was held at eight the next morning. Daniel started off by filling the others in on what took place before his last check-in.

"So, you _did_ try to see what was going on," Sam said after he told them about his first attempt to use his precognitive abilities.

Daniel nodded. "But all I saw was fighting between the military and rebels. There wasn't anything warning me of the impending disaster. But then, on the way back from my last check-in, my sixth sense went off like crazy. I tried again to find out what was wrong, and that's when I saw the cities being destroyed, millions killed. I tried to warn Gareth, but he wouldn't listen to me." Daniel halted, getting upset. He still felt like he'd failed the people of Tegalus, that he should have been able to find a way to stop what happened.

Daniel felt Sam lay a hand over his, but he did not look at her, keeping his gaze on the table. "I tried a second time to find out more information, and I saw Soren's troops seize control of one of the missile control facilities. That's when I found out what was going to trigger the war. I tried to make Gareth and Kane believe me. I even told them the truth about my abilities, but they wouldn't listen."

"Daniel, that wasn't your fault," Jack said, seeing how upset his friend was. "You can't make someone believe you if they refuse to."

"If I had just known which facility the rebels were going to take over, I could have stopped them myself," Daniel said, not acknowledging Jack's statement.

"Daniel, you can't expect yourself to see everything, to know everything," Sam told him. "That's not being fair to yourself."

"Carter's right," Jack said. "You may have these abilities, but they're not always going to be able to fix things."

"As you have said yourself many times, you are not a god, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated.

Daniel sighed. "I know. I know that I'm not always going to be able to fix things or prevent something from happening. I just can't help but think that I could have done something _this_ time. So many people died."

"Daniel, listen to me," Jack said firmly. "I know that you wish you could have stopped it from happening. I know it's tearing you apart that you weren't able to, but what could you have done? What did you not do that you could have?"

It was a few seconds before Daniel replied. "I don't know."

"Because there was nothing else you could have done. You did everything in your power to stop it. It just didn't work. You have to accept that and live with it, because, if you don't, this thing is going to haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Not every battle can be won, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c told him gently.

All at once, some of the last words General Hammond said to him came into Daniel's mind.

_"Your abilities have given us many victories that otherwise may have been denied us, yet there may come a day when even your power cannot prevent tragedy. If that day ever comes, do not let it discourage you or make you doubt your capabilities. There is not another soul on this planet nor, most likely, any other who could have done a finer job of using those abilities the way they should be." _

Daniel realized that those words had turned out to be prophetic. He had been unable to prevent a tragedy, and, now, he was doubting himself, questioning his abilities. So many times, he had been able to completely avert a tragic event or, at the very least, lessen its impact with his abilities. This time, he couldn't. There would probably be other times when he'd fail again.

_"The success or failure of your deeds does not add up to the sum of your life. Your spirit cannot be weighed. Judge yourself by the intention of your actions and by the strength with which you faced the challenges that have stood in your way." _

The words of Oma Desala came to Daniel like she was standing right there in the room. When she said those words to him over two years ago, Daniel had felt like any good he might have done hadn't been enough, that he hadn't made a big enough difference. Did he still feel that way? No. No, he didn't. He recognized that he had accomplished a lot of good things in his life. And, if, sometimes, he failed, like he had this time, at least he had tried as hard as he could.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired softly. He had been quiet for quite some time.

"I was just remembering the words of two very wise people," Daniel said.

"And what did those very wise people say?" Jack asked.

"That I shouldn't judge myself by my failures nor even by my successes, that what's important is that I have always tried to do what was right and have used my abilities the best that I could."

Sam's hand tightened around his as she smiled at him.

"No truer words could be spoken," Jack said. "Are you ready to go on?"

"Yeah."

Daniel continued his recount of the events on Rand. Jack, of course, wasn't happy when he found out that Daniel had been seriously injured in the attack and had failed to say anything about it before now.

"I healed myself, Jack," the archeologist responded. "I saw no reason to mention it before now."

"And you're absolutely sure you healed everything?"

"Yes, Jack. I'm all better now."

Sam hid a smile at Daniel's tone, which was like that of a man talking to a very young child.

Jack ignored the tone and told him to continue. When Daniel got up to the point in the narrative where he contacted Sam, the lieutenant colonel and Teal'c began adding their account of events.

Finally, they reached the moment when the forces from Earth arrived. Jack knew the rest of the story.

"Well, I have to say that those were twelve days I wouldn't want to repeat," Jack remarked.

"You can say that again," Daniel responded.

"I don't want to think about how this would have turned out if Daniel didn't have his psychic abilities," Sam said. "He probably wouldn't have been able to make it to the bunker. He could have been trapped on that planet for several weeks or even months, even if we had convinced Soren to let us search for him, which I'm seriously doubting now." Sam didn't add that Daniel might have been trapped there for the rest of his life, a life that would probably not have been a long one. He'd never have been able to live under Soren's rule, and he wouldn't have stopped trying to get home.

"There's no point in dwelling on what didn't happen, Carter," Jack told her. "Daniel's back with us with another exciting chapter added to his life."

"Yes. Such a shame I can't write an autobiography. Probably be a bestseller," Daniel remarked sarcastically.

"Heck, _I'd_ buy it," Jack said with a little smirk, "and I wouldn't even wait for the paperback."

"Gee, thanks, Jack."

Though Jack offered to give Daniel some time off after his written report was turned in, the archeologist wanted to get right back to work. There was certainly plenty of it to do. Once the report was out of the way, he dug right into it, managing to get quite a bit done that day and the next two, despite the fact that a lot of people visited him to let him know that they were glad he'd made it back.

When Daniel came into work Friday morning, he was called to Jack's office. When he got there, he found Sam there as well.

"What's up?" the archeologist asked as he sat down.

"I figured it was about time that we talked about the status of SG-1," Jack replied.

"Shouldn't Teal'c be here?"

"Not for this conversation."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other, guessing what this was about.

"Is it about our relationship, sir?" Sam asked.

"Yes, it is. As I'm sure you've already guessed, now that you are the leader of SG-1, the two of you being involved is a big problem since, quoting regulations, it could adversely affect discipline and respect for authority within the team. Of course, since Daniel never had all that much respect for authority on the team anyway, nothing much would be different in that regard, but the brass don't look at it that way. Up until now, the relationship that you two have has been kept under the radar of everyone who isn't in the SGC. That's not possible anymore."

"The president knows," Daniel said.

Jack looked at him in surprise. "He does?"

"Yes, sir," Sam confirmed. "He, um, caught us kissing while we were at Camp David."

"And he didn't say anything?"

"No, not a word."

"Huh. Well, that's good to know."

"So, what does this mean, sir?"

"Well, the most obvious solutions are to put someone on the team who would take over command or to transfer Daniel off the team. There are some people who are still eager to see Daniel command a team of his own."

"Sir, if I have to choose between relinquishing command of SG-1 or losing Daniel from the team, I'd rather give up command," Sam stated with conviction.

"That's what I figured you'd say."

"So, who would take over command?" Daniel asked. He was torn about what he'd rather see happen. He still didn't want a team of his own and would miss being on SG-1, but he hated to see Sam lose command.

"That I don't know. I've already been talking to people. It all got put on hold when you disappeared on Tegalus, but, before then, things got rather . . . heated. The brass was not happy that they'd been kept in the dark about your relationship. I was able to point out one thing, though. You two have been involved for nearly four months now, and it has not adversely affected the team at all. I made sure the brass was clear on that, and Hammond told them the same thing. I also let them know that, since Carter took command, there have been zero problems regarding your relationship affecting the operation of the team. As far as Hammond and I are concerned, there will not be any problems regarding discipline or respect for authority within SG-1."

"Sir, may I say something?" Sam asked.

"Of course, Carter."

"I'm sure you already know this, but when it comes to discipline and authority on SG-1, there really isn't any, not between Daniel, Teal'c and myself. There never has been. We don't have a hierarchal relationship, not even on missions. There really is no chain of command among us, not even now that I'm the team leader. Daniel is a civilian and Teal'c is an alien, and we each have our specialties and particular skills and knowledge. The three of us work more like equal partners than superior and subordinates. Sure, I'm the one who makes the final decisions now, but what we really have is a democracy. When a mission relies mostly on Daniel's skills and knowledge, he'd be the one to take the lead. The same thing would be true for Teal'c. I really think that could work well for us." Realizing what that might sound like, she hastily added, "Not that the team didn't work well with you as the leader, sir. That's definitely not true. I just mean--" She broke off as Jack held up his hand.

"I know what you mean, Carter, and I agree. My status as team leader was often tenuous as best. I always knew that if Teal'c wanted to defy my orders and go do whatever he pleased, I couldn't stop him. That's exactly what he did a couple of times. As for Daniel, we're all well aware of how often he paid no attention to who was boss. Yet, despite that, SG-1 is the best damn team in the SGC. It has successfully completed more missions than any other and never lost a team member . . . well, not permanently. I already brought up a lot of these points to the people I talked to."

"And what did they say?" Daniel asked.

"The jury's still out. Some agreed that, so far, your relationship doesn't seem to have affected the team's effectiveness, but they have reservations about the leader of SG-1 being romantically involved with a teammate. Others are against it, plain and simple. Now that I know the president seems to have no problem with your relationship, I'll give him a call and talk to him about this whole thing. If he agrees to give you a special dispensation, then the problem will be solved."

"And in the meantime?" Sam questioned.

"In the meantime, it's business as usual. I have not received any official orders to put an end to this, so, until I do, SG-1 will stay just like it is."

"A three-man team?"

"Since we don't know yet what position a fourth team member would be placed in, yes."

Sam shrugged. "Well, there aren't any rules that say an SG team _has_ to have at least four people."

"Which makes it _so_ much easier. I've already got enough decisions to deal with. As soon as I know anything for sure, I'll let you know."

--------------------------------------------------

The week that followed was rather tense for Daniel and Sam, who were both worried about what the brass would decide regarding their relationship and the team. Jack gave no clue on how things were going, telling them that he'd fill them in once everything was decided.

On the morning of the following Friday, the general called them into his office. The couple nervously took seats.

"Okay, I know that you two have been worrying about this, so I'll cut right to the chase. Based on how well you've handled your relationship and being on the same team so far, the president has agreed to give you a special dispensation."

Sam and Daniel smiled in relief.

"We can both stay on SG-1?" Sam asked.

"And Sam can keep her position as team leader?" asked Daniel.

"Yes to both questions. However, if this ever becomes a problem, Daniel will have to transfer off SG-1. That's the deal."

"There won't be a problem," the two scientists said at the same time.

"I hope that's true."

"So, now that this is settled, what about a fourth team member?" Daniel questioned.

"Well, as Carter pointed out, there are no rules that say an SG team has to have four people, so, as far as I'm concerned, things can stay as they are, unless Carter wants to add another member." He looked at SG-1's leader. "It's up to you, Carter. It's your team now."

"For right now, sir, we can operate as a three-man team, but I will start going through personnel files to see if I find someone I think will fit well with the team."

"A word of advice. Pick somebody who's in the military so you at least have one person on your team that has to follow your orders."

Sam smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, sir."

Just then, Daniel noticed a file on Jack's desk with the words "Atlantis Project" written on the tab. "I'm assuming that there was no word from Atlantis while I was gone," he said.

"No, not a peep," Jack confirmed. "Obviously, you were right about them not having a ZPM, and they apparently haven't gotten their hands on one."

"I hope they're okay," Sam said.

"Me too," Daniel responded. "I keep worrying that Major Sheppard didn't prevent what I saw in that vision."

"Sir, do you think that we'd be allowed to take Osiris' Al'Kesh to the Pegasus galaxy? With its modified engines, it wouldn't take long to get there."

"Believe it or not, Carter, I actually already thought of that," Jack told her. "Our conversation about taking it to Tegalus to search for Daniel made me think about it. I discussed it with a few people."

"You were considering using the Al'Kesh to come find me?" Daniel questioned. "I thought about that myself."

Jack and Sam looked at each other. They'd hoped that this wouldn't be brought up.

"Um . . . yeah, we made the request," Sam said.

Daniel gave a single nod. "They said no."

"Not 'no', Daniel," Jack hastily corrected. "We were just told to wait. The second time we asked Soren if we could come to the planet to search for you, he said to call back in four days. That's when we asked if we could use the Al'Kesh. We were told to give the man the four days. If Soren still hadn't been willing to play ball, we'd have had that Al'Kesh en route to Tegalus before the day was out."

"Makes sense. After all, the odds of me being alive were pretty slim. Risking the Al'Kesh to go search for a man who was very likely dead wouldn't make much sense."

"Hey. We don't give up on people that easily," Jack stated firmly. "Besides, when it comes to you, 'presumed dead' is a stupid error in judgment on anyone's part."

"All the same, I don't blame them for their decision."

_'Of **course** you don't,'_ was the thought that came to Jack's mind. _'The rest of us will just have to be mad for you.' _

"Back to the question about Atlantis, what did they say about using the Al'Kesh?" Daniel asked.

"They're worried about what would happen if the vision you had came true. If the entire galaxy is now being overrun with Wraith, one lone Al'Kesh wouldn't stand a chance if it tangled with a bunch of those guys. We really don't know what the level of their technology is, so it's impossible to say if they could detect a cloaked ship. There is the concern that if the Wraith got hold of the Al'Kesh, it would give them a way to get here to our galaxy. And it's not like we could really do anything to help the people on Atlantis anyway, not with one little ship. By what your vision showed, we already know that the team didn't meet with complete disaster in the city, so the odds are good that they're still okay."

"So, they said no."

"Yep, pretty much."

"You know, it's really too bad that we don't still have that power generator that you built when you had the knowledge of the Ancients," Sam said to her C.O. "There's a chance that I could have gotten it to work again, and we could have used it to dial Atlantis."

"Yeah, that's definitely out of our reach, being in another universe and all." Jack looked at Daniel and noticed that the man had a vacant expression. "Daniel? Yoohoo. You still here?"

Not replying, the archeologist abruptly got to his feet and left the room.

Jack blinked and looked at Sam. "Was it something I said?"

He and Sam got up and followed Daniel out. They missed the elevator he got on, so had to wait for it to come back down. Guessing that the man had gone to his office, they went there. When they got there, they found him rapidly drawing something on a sketch pad.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired, looking at what he was drawing. It appeared to be some kind of schematic, but of what she didn't know.

"What is that?" Jack asked her.

"I don't know, sir."

Finally, the archeologist's drawing ceased, and he just stood staring at the paper.

"Uh . . . Daniel?" Jack queried tentatively.

Daniel blinked, then looked at them. "Oh. Sorry. It's, um . . . it's the power generator."

"What?" Sam stared at the drawing. Now that she was really looking at it, it did look somewhat familiar.

"You mean it just popped into your head?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. It was the weirdest thing. You guys were talking about it, and, suddenly, it was just there."

"Okay." There was a pause. "Honkin' big Ancient space gun," Jack then said slowly and distinctly. He looked at Daniel's expression. "Nothing coming to you?"

"Nope. Sorry."

"Dang."

Sam was too busy studying the schematic to pay attention to them. "If this really is the power booster, we might be able to build one. We already know that the one Colonel O'Neill built was powered by the liquid Naquadah from a staff weapon." She turned to Daniel. "Do you think that you could actually put one of these together?"

"Yes, I think so. The image is still strong in my mind."

Sam's expression of excitement abruptly changed. "Oh no. What if this means that the Ancient knowledge is leaking back into your conscious mind?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, I really don't think it's that. Remember how I suddenly knew that thing you and McKay were arguing about was a power regulator? I think this is something like that. Like I said then, every once in a while, something from that knowledge pops into my head. Up till now, it's pretty much been stuff like remembering some fact about a planet or a bit of historical information. One time, this totally incomprehensible equation jumped into my head."

Sam's face brightened. "Really? What was it?"

"I don't remember it now."

"Too bad."

"Okay, let me get this straight," Jack interrupted. "Are you saying that you can build this thing?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, I think so."

"Sweet."

"We should get started right away," Sam said, picking up the schematic. "We don't want to take the chance that you'll forget."

Before Jack could say anything, they were gone.

"Yes, Carter," he said to the empty room. "You have my permission to go do that. What? Oh, you're very welcome. Think nothing of it."

One-sided conversation finished, Jack left the room to return to his office.

--------------------------------------------------

For the rest of that day and into the next, Daniel and Sam worked together on the device. Because Daniel's brain wasn't scrambled by the Ancient knowledge and they didn't rush through its construction, what was created had a more finished appearance than the original Jack had built.

The two scientists stared at the completed device. All that remained was to place the liquid Naquadah in it.

Jack came in. "So, is it done?"

"All except for the liquid Naquadah, sir," Sam replied.

Jack studied the thing. "Doesn't really look like the one I made."

"Well, sir, yours was thrown together pretty quickly with a lot of odds and ends. We took a lot more time with this one."

"And you're sure it's going to work?"

"Pretty sure," Daniel replied.

"Okay, then go ahead and put the Naquadah in, and let's see what happens."

The liquid Naquadah chamber from a staff weapon was carefully removed and placed inside the device. The power button was then pressed, and the device turned on. They all stared at the softly humming object. Sam ran a scanner over it, smiling.

"I'm getting substantial power readings. It's working."

"Then we can dial Atlantis," Daniel said.

Sam turned the device off. "Well, we still don't know for sure if it will work like the other one, but, if it does, then, yes, it will allow us to connect to a gate in another galaxy."

"All right, then I've got a phone call to make," Jack said.

The result of the phone call, which had been to the president, was that they had a green light to attempt to contact Atlantis. Sam decided that, to be on the safe side, she should run a few tests first, so the attempt to contact Atlantis was scheduled for tomorrow morning.

When morning arrived, everyone stood in the control room with excited anticipation, except for Sam, who was with Siler, hooking up the device. The moment it was hooked up, she called to let the control room know that everything looked good, and they could try dialing the gate.

"Walter, dial Atlantis," Jack commanded.

"Yes, sir."

As each chevron engaged, the tension level increased, until, at last, the eighth and final chevron locked, and the Stargate burst to life with a cheer from everyone.

A galaxy away, in the Ancient city of Atlantis, Doctor Elizabeth Weir and Major John Sheppard watched the chevrons light up, wondering where the wormhole was coming from. The moment the wormhole established, the protective force field that served the same purpose as the iris on the Earth gate snapped into existence.

"Who is it from?" Weir asked the technician. When he didn't immediately answer, she looked at him. There was an expression of shock on his face.

"I-it's from Earth," he stammered. "Stargate Command."

"What?!"

The man pressed a button, and a familiar voice came over the speakers.

"Atlantis, this is General O'Neill of Stargate Command. Do you read?"

"General O'Neill?" Elizabeth said in surprise.

"Doctor Weir, is that you?"

"Yes, General. I . . . I'm stunned. How is this possible?"

"Oh, the promotion? Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but--"

"Jack," said another familiar voice.

"Oh. Right."

"Hello, Doctor Weir," Daniel Jackson's voice greeted.

"Doctor Jackson. Did you find another ZPM?"

"No, not exactly. We managed to come up with a different power source. We don't know how long it's going to keep the gate open, so explanations will have to wait for later. What you need to know now is that we can very likely make more of them, which means that we can send some to you."

Elizabeth looked at Sheppard, and they both smiled.

"That is incredible news," Weir said.

"There's something I need to know right now, though. Is Major Sheppard there?"

"Yes, I'm here," John replied.

"Did you do what I told you to?"

"Yes, I did. I didn't kill her. It wasn't easy, and we almost didn't get away because of it, but I did what you said."

"Thank God. You have no idea how good that is to know." Someone spoke in the background. "Doctor Weir, we need to close the gate now. We'll contact you again soon."

Back at the SGC, the Stargate shut down. Sam came in a few minutes later.

"We were getting some minor power fluctuations, so I thought it was best if we shut it down. So, did they say they were all right?"

"It didn't happen, Sam." Daniel replied. "Sheppard didn't kill the female Wraith."

"Thank goodness."

"Daniel told Weir that we could build more of those things," Jack said.

"I don't see why not. We have the schematic, and I took detailed notes while we were building the device. We should be able to make as many as we want, well, as many as we have liquid Naquadah for."

"I doubt we'd have any trouble getting a few dozen staff weapons from the rebel Jaffa." Jack patted Daniel's shoulder. "Especially if Dan'yar here is doing the asking."

"If this device is like the one you built, I will be able to get it to work at least one more time. I wouldn't guarantee that it will work more than that, though. It doesn't have even a fraction of the power capacity that a fully charged ZPM would."

"Then we'll just have to have several of them on hand."

"It's possible that I might be able to devise a more powerful and efficient device using this one as the blueprint." Sam made a face. "As much as I hate to admit it, Doctor McKay would probably be a big help in that regard."

"Well, once we get one of those doohickeys over to them and they can dial out to us, maybe McKay will come on back and give you a hand."

"Actually, sir, it would probably be better to do the work over there. I should imagine that they've got technology in the city that would far exceed anything I could use here, and we might even find some information on the original Ancient version of this device."

"And I'd really like to dig into any records that are there," Daniel added.

"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed. "Did I say that you could both go traipsing off to another galaxy?"

"Well, actually, Jack, you told me that I could go if I wasn't going to be gone for more than two or three weeks," Daniel reminded him.

"I said that I'd _consider_ it," Jack corrected.

"That's not what _I_ remember." Daniel smiled pleasantly. "Shall I quote you?"

Jack glared at him. "Smart ass." He looked back and forth between the two scientists. "Oh, all right! You can go, but not until we're certain you can get back."

"We can send through two of the devices with instructions on how to hook one up. They'll most likely be using it with a Naquadah generator, so I'll have to figure out how to do that. Hopefully, it won't take more than a couple of days or so to figure that out and to make four or five of the devices."

Sam got to work on the project right away. As several other people were busy building more of the devices, the astrophysicist set about adapting the one they already had so that it would also work with a Naquadah generator.

While that was going on, Daniel was already packing, deciding what books and other resource materials he'd be taking with him.

Jack came in and watched Daniel shoving books into a backpack. "Kind of jumping the gun, aren't you? It's probably going to be a few days before you guys leave."

"I just want to be all ready ahead of time."

Jack studied him. "You're really excited about this."

"Are you kidding? It's a city of the Ancients, Jack. Not just ruins, but an actual functioning city. The thing I want to know more than anything else is about the Ancients, their history, their culture, and, most of all, their research on ascension and how they managed to do it. I have all the memories of what I did and saw that year I was ascended, but I remember almost nothing about what I learned about them. I need to know who they are, what motivates them as a people. I want to know why they choose to do nothing to help any of us. I know that I might not find all those answers, but anything that I can learn will give me a clearer picture of them."

Jack knew that this search was very personal to Daniel. As a man who was once ascended and had to exist under the rules of the Ancients, he had a need to understand them.

"Well, I'm glad you're getting the opportunity to find out," he said.

Daniel looked at him. "Of course you know that if there is any trouble you need my help on, just let me know. I'll come right back."

"Sure. We'll give you a holler if we need you to save our collective asses again. The same goes for Carter. You know, Teal'c's not going to know what to do with himself while you're both gone."

"I'm sure he'll find something to occupy him."


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

It had taken the remainder of Sunday and all of the next two days to build four of the units, partly because they had to wait for needed parts to come in. Atlantis was contacted again Wednesday morning. Two of the four power units were sitting before the gate, ready to be sent through. Sam would also be transmitting the instructions on how to connect the devices to a Naquadah generator, as well as complete information on their construction and how they worked. 

The wormhole was going to be dialed with the original unit that was built, Sam having successfully gotten it working again. It would be interesting to see if it would work a third time. 

As soon as the gate dialed up and they sent a message to Atlantis, Doctor Weir's voice came back to them. 

"Hello, Stargate Command. It's good to hear from you again. We've been anxiously awaiting you." 

"Doctor Weir, this is Colonel Carter." 

"_Colonel_ Carter? I see that more than one promotion got handed out while we've been here. Congratulations." 

"Thank you. We're sending through two power units. The power on these units is limited, and we don't know yet how many times one will establish a connection between us. This is the second time for the one we're using. Also, adjustments have to be made after each use. I've managed to automate that, though it hasn't been thoroughly tested. I will be transmitting data on the units. Can you receive it?" 

Weir glanced at Rodney McKay, who nodded. 

"No problem," he said. 

"Yes, we can, Colonel Carter. Go ahead and send the units and the data." Elizabeth looked over her shoulder. "Lower the shield." 

Soon, two odd-looking devices came through on a F.R.E.D. McKay immediately went up and started examining them. A tech let Doctor Weir know that the data had been received. 

"Everything has come through," she told the SGC. 

"Okay, as soon as you get one of those units hooked up, try dialing us," Sam instructed. 

"Will do, Colonel. I can't tell you how excited we all are about this. It will be good to know that we can visit home." 

"I'm sure it will. We're excited about it, too. We'll expect to hear from you soon. If we don't, we'll contact you again tomorrow. Stargate Command out." 

The Stargate was shut down Daniel and Sam looked at each other. All they had to do now was wait for Atlantis to dial them. 

That happened at a little after 2 p.m. By all rights, it should have happened much sooner since the process of hooking the unit up to a generator was pretty easy, but Sam figured that McKay probably insisted on studying the power unit and figuring out how it worked before he'd hook the thing up. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if the man wanted to make his own modifications to it first. 

"Nice of you to call, Atlantis," Jack greeted. 

"Yes, it is," Weir agreed. "Your power unit is working perfectly. We'd have dialed you sooner, but Doctor McKay wished to study the unit first." 

"I _knew_ it," Sam muttered under her breath. 

"Okay, now that we've got this all set up, what do you need?" Jack asked. "Personnel? Supplies? Weapons?" 

"All of the above, actually. We can put together a list of what we need and what we'd like to have." 

"Good. We'll do our best to fill the order. When we have it all ready to go, we'll send it through." Jack glanced at Daniel and Sam. "Also, there are two people here who would really like to come for a visit, if you don't mind." 

Elizabeth smiled, knowing who at least one of those two people were. "We would be delighted, General. Doctor Jackson? It looks like we're going to have the pleasure of your company here after all." 

"Yes, I can't wait," Daniel responded. "Neither can Sam." 

"Very well. We'll put together our shopping list and contact you again. Atlantis out." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The "shopping list" came through the next day. It was a pretty lengthy one. It took three days to gather the items needed by the Atlantis team and to put together the personnel they'd requested. Since the trip was no longer one-way, finding personnel who were willing to go was not a problem. 

It was bright and early Monday morning when the gate was yet again dialed to Atlantis. Sam had determined that the original unit wouldn't safely handle a third dial-up, so another one was used. The gate room was crammed with supplies, equipment and personnel, not nearly as bad as it had been when the Atlantis expedition embarked on their journey, but still bad enough that Jack had no intention of going down there. 

Daniel and Sam were beside the general and Teal'c, packs sitting at their feet. 

"Got everything?" Jack asked them. "Toothbrushes? Hair care products?" He glanced at Daniel's face. "Spare glasses?" 

"Yes, Jack, we're all set," Daniel replied. "And, before you ask, that includes plenty of underwear." 

"Just wanted to be sure." 

At that moment, the wormhole was established. Atlantis was contacted, and it was confirmed that everyone could go through. 

Jack leaned over and spoke into the microphone. "You're green to go, everyone. Good luck." 

The personnel began filing through the gate, taking with them the supplies and equipment. 

Jack turned to Daniel and Sam. "Well, I hope you two have fun. Send me a postcard." 

Sam smiled. "We'll do that, sir." She turned to Teal'c, as did Daniel. "It still isn't too late to come with us, you know." 

"Though I would find it interesting to view the city of the Ancients, there would be little for me to do there," the Jaffa responded. "I have no skills or knowledge that would be useful." 

"Okay. We'll see you in three weeks, then." 

"I will look forward to your return." 

Daniel said goodbye to Teal'c, then he and Sam grabbed their packs and went down to the gate room. They were the last to go through, giving Jack and Teal'c a wave before stepping into the event horizon. 

Seconds later, the two scientists set foot in the Pegasus galaxy for the first time. Immediately, they filled their eyes with the sights around them. 

"Wow," they both said. 

Doctor Weir stepped forward with a warm smile. "Welcome to Atlantis." 

"Thank you," Daniel said. He looked around again. "This is incredible." 

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet. This place is amazing. We've only just begun to scratch the surface of it." 

McKay wound his way through the personnel and supplies that had come through. "Colonel Carter. Those units you sent through are . . . interesting, an unusual concept. They've got some serious limitations, though. I, personally, wouldn't have gone in that direction." 

Sam lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, and have you been working on a viable power unit of your own?" 

The man's smug little smile vanished. "Well, uh, no, but I'm sure I could have come up with one if I'd had a starting point. I'm confident that I can vastly improve upon the unit you designed." 

"Actually, I didn't design it. Well, I had a hand in it, but the original concept wasn't mine." 

"Whose was it, then?" 

Sam smiled. "Daniel's." 

McKay's jaw hit the floor. He looked at the archeologist. "Y-y-you?" 

"No, not really," Daniel replied. "It mostly came from the Ancient knowledge in my mind. Jack built something similar back when he had the knowledge. It's just that I was able to recall it in far more detail and made a schematic. I'm sure that the original Ancient device was a great deal more advanced." 

"So, those devices are based on Ancient technology?" Weir asked. 

Sam nodded. "Like Daniel said, the original technology was very likely far more advanced and would have used better materials. The lower grade materials is no doubt why these units have such severe limitations. I'm really hoping that, with the Ancient materials you have here, not to mention any technical information in the database, we can design something much better." 

The smug smile on McKay's face was back. "Yes, I've already been working on that and--" 

"You and Colonel Carter can discuss it later, Rodney," Elizabeth said. "Right now, I'm sure that our guests would like a tour of the city." 

"Absolutely," Daniel confirmed, his eyes glowing with excitement. 

McKay was disappointed that he'd have to wait to tell Sam all about his inspired work on the power unit. "Well, okay. I'll, uh, be in my lab when you're done." 

Doctor Weir smiled at Daniel and Sam. "Shall we?" 

The first place she took them to was one of the balconies overlooking the city. The two people from Earth gazed in awe at the sight. 

"It's just like I saw," Daniel murmured. 

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Many months ago, I had a vision in which I saw this place, but it was from the time when the Ancients were here. There were cylindrical-shaped ships flying overhead." 

"Puddle jumpers." 

"Puddle jumpers?" Sam queried. 

"That's the name Major Sheppard tagged them with. They are designed to fly through Stargates. In this galaxy, many Stargates are floating in orbit around planets." 

"Really? That's fascinating." 

"Doctor Weir, you know about the vision I had about the expedition here, right?" Daniel asked. 

"Yes. Major Sheppard told me about it. I did give orders that no one was to go into anything resembling a city. Unfortunately, because of the circumstances we had found ourselves in, Colonel Sumner chose to countermand my orders. He was killed during the events that followed." 

"I'm sorry to hear that. Major Sheppard said that he didn't kill the Wraith queen." 

"No, he didn't, though it put him and everyone else at great risk. I'd like to know what would have happened if he had killed her." 

"We can talk about that later. It's something everyone here should know. What I was going to ask is that, in the vision, I saw water flooding sections of the city. What was that about?" 

"Ah. When we arrived, the city was on the floor of the ocean, being protected by a force field." 

"Then the legend of Atlantis sinking beneath the waves was true," Daniel murmured. "The legend just had the wrong planet." 

Weir nodded. "The problem was that, when we arrived, everything started turning on. It seriously drained the ZPM that was maintaining the force field, and the field began to fail. That's why we sent the team to that planet. We were looking for a place to evacuate everyone. But then, we discovered the existence of the Wraith." 

"So, how did you get Atlantis to surface?" Daniel asked. 

"We weren't the ones to do it. Apparently, it was programmed to surface in the event that the force field failed." 

The three continued their tour. Major Sheppard joined them partway through, giving his own rather amusing commentary on certain things. 

Daniel and Sam were taken to the puddle jumper bay and boarded one of the little ships. 

"Like many of the systems in Atlantis, the puddle jumpers will only respond to someone who has the Ancient gene," Elizabeth explained. "However, Doctor Beckett has succeeded in developing a gene therapy that allows us to inject the ATA gene into people who do not naturally have it. It doesn't work for everyone, but close to fifty percent of the people here can now control Ancient technology." 

"Wow, that's fantastic," Sam remarked. 

Daniel stepped into the cockpit, staring at the controls. Something deep in his mind responded to what he was seeing. The ship suddenly turned on, startling everyone. 

"Whoa. Okay, that shouldn't have happened," John said. 

"Sorry. That was an accident," Daniel apologized. He shut the power down with a quick thought. 

"How'd you do that so easily? You weren't even trying to turn it on." 

Daniel studied him. "How much do you know about me?" 

"Well, I know who you are, the guy who opened the Stargate and one of the people who went on the original mission through it." 

"What do you know about my ascension?" 

"I was told that you ascended to a higher plane of existence or something like that and became like what the Ancients did, but that you were descended because you broke the rules. You came back with a bunch of psychic abilities. Doctor Beckett mentioned that you have very cool DNA, also because you were ascended." 

"Actually, Daniel's DNA isn't just 'very cool'," Sam told the major, "he's closer to being like the Ancients were before their ascension than any other human being in existence, or at least that we know of. That enables him to control Ancient technology with great ease. In fact, we have at least one example of him even controlling Goa'uld technology that was originally developed from Ancient technology." 

"Really? Wow. Too bad you're not staying here, Doctor Jackson. We could really use you." 

"Yes, I've already expressed that sentiment," Weir said. "Unfortunately, he turned me down." She turned to the archeologist. "Unless we can manage to change your mind while you're here." Weir then looked at Sam. "Both of you, in fact. Your scientific skills and knowledge would be a tremendous asset, Colonel Carter." 

"Heck, having you here might even poke a few holes in McKay's ego," Sheppard added. 

"Is that even possible?" Sam responded. 

The major thought about it. "Probably not." 

Sam turned back to Elizabeth. "I appreciate the offer, Doctor Weir, and, I have to admit that I'd love to spend the next year discovering all the technology that's here, but I belong at the SGC." She smiled. "Besides, if I stayed here more than a few weeks, I'd probably shoot McKay." 

Sheppard grinned. "Hey, I'd help you cover it up. Dump his body over the side with some weights, and nobody would ever know what happened." 

The other three people smiled at the comment. 

"I'm afraid that I have to give the same answer as Sam," Daniel said. 

"Oh, you'd want to shoot McKay, too?" John asked. "Wow, his fan club is even bigger than I thought." 

Daniel gave him a smile. "No, I don't think I'd have any urges to shoot Doctor McKay." The smile got bigger. "Although it is possible that Casper might visit him again from time to time." 

Sam burst into laughter. 

"Who's Casper?" Sheppard asked. 

Sam told him and Weir about the incident with the journalist Emmett Bregman. John absolutely loved it. 

"Doctor Jackson, you are a man after my own heart," he said. "Hey, wait a minute. You said that Casper might visit McKay _again_. Did you already do something to him?" 

Daniel revealed the incident at the outpost, which made Sheppard laugh in delight. "Oh, man. I really wish I'd seen that." 

"How come you never told me about this?" Sam asked her teammate. 

"I didn't think about it. It was right afterwards that I discovered the eighth symbol, and everything else went out of my head." 

"I really wish I'd seen it, too." Actually, she might have injured herself laughing too hard. 

"Now I _really_ wish you were going to stay," Sheppard stated. "With you around, maybe McKay would behave himself a little more." 

"Sorry. Though, like Sam, I'd love to spend a year exploring what's here, my place is also with the SGC." 

"Well, then we'll just have to show you as much of this place as we can during the weeks that you will be here," Doctor Weir responded. 

The tour of Atlantis lasted another couple of hours and still only covered a tiny fraction of the place. There were huge areas yet to be explored by the expedition team, more technological treasures to be discovered. 

After the tour, Daniel and Sam ate lunch, then attended a briefing with Doctor Weir, Sheppard, McKay, Doctor Beckett, and a beautiful, brown-skinned woman named Teyla Emmagan, a native of the planet the Atlantis team first went through the gate to. Her people were called the Athosians. 

"All right, first of all, there a fact that some of you do not know," Elizabeth began. "On the day that the Atlantis expedition came here, Doctor Jackson gave Major Sheppard a warning not to kill the female Wraith on that hive ship on Athos." 

Teyla frowned. "But how is that possible? Your people did not even know of the existence of the Wraith." 

"Would you like to explain, Doctor Jackson?" Weir asked. 

"I have the ability to see the future," Daniel replied to the Athosian. "I had a vision that showed me the Wraith, who and what they are, and what would happen if that female Wraith was killed." 

Teyla stared at him in amazement. "That is a tremendous gift, one that could save many lives." 

Sam nodded. "It already has. Daniel's precognitive abilities have been responsible for preventing a lot of deaths, including mine." 

Daniel felt a moment of sorrow, thinking of the lives on Tegalus that his abilities had _not_ saved. 

"So, what would have happened if I'd killed her?" Sheppard asked. "You said that millions of people would die." 

"If you had killed her, all of the Wraith would have awakened," Daniel answered. 

"You mean on that ship? Yeah, that would definitely have been bad." 

Daniel met his eyes. "No, Major Sheppard. _All_ of the Wraith, every one in the galaxy." 

Daniel's statement was met with utter silence, everyone stunned and horrified by the news, except for Sam, who had already known. 

"If every Wraith in the galaxy had been awakened, they'd have decimated the human population," Doctor Beckett said, his face showing his horror at the thought. 

Daniel nodded. "Entire planets would have been wiped out. There wouldn't be enough people to feed them." 

"Oh my God," Elizabeth murmured. 

Teyla was among the most horrified of all, thinking of all the people in her galaxy, her home, that would have perished. She turned her eyes upon the man who had prevented the catastrophe. 

"Your warning saved billions of lives. How can we ever thank you?" 

"You don't have to thank me. I can't tell you how relieved I am that it never happened. I actually witnessed what would have taken place, and it was the worst nightmare you can imagine." 

"Nevertheless, I and my people owe you a great debt," Teyla turned to John, "and to Major Sheppard for heeding your warning." 

Daniel dipped his head in acknowledgment. "There is, actually, something that I'd like from you." 

"Anything. You have only to ask and it is yours." 

"I would very much like to learn about your people. I'm an archeologist and anthropologist. I study the history and culture of civilizations. I'm also a linguist, someone who studies languages." 

Teyla smiled. "I and my people would be honored to share this knowledge with you. You will have to come with me to the mainland to speak with some others among the Athosians." 

"Your people are here now?" 

"We evacuated them from Athos after the initial Wraith attack," Sheppard answered. 

"Up until very recently, they lived in the city," Elizabeth said, "but we discovered that there is a large landmass less than half an hour's flight from here. The Athosians made it their new home and are already planting crops." 

"Yes, my people are safe from the Wraith," Teyla said, "but many, many other are not. I hope that our new friends here," she looked around at the others, "will aid us to rid the galaxy of the Wraith." 

"Actually, that brings up a question I had," Doctor Beckett said. "First, I should probably explain that Doctor Jackson's paranormal abilities are not limited to precognition. His power is actually quite extraordinary. Among other things, he has the power to heal injuries in others and can even bring the dead back to life." 

McKay stared at the doctor. "You didn't say anything to me about that before. You just told me that he could blow up spaceships and lift Stargates." 

"Whoa, whoa!" Sheppard exclaimed. "Blow up spaceships? Lift Stargates? Okay, I knew that he had a lot of different abilities because he ascended, but I wasn't told he could blow up spaceships and lift Stargates." 

Teyla drew in a sharp breath, staring at Daniel. "You ascended?" she asked in a hushed voice. "You became as the Ancients?" 

"I see that some explanations will have to be made," Elizabeth said. "Doctor Jackson, perhaps you'd better fill everyone in." 

"Over four years ago, we met an Ancient named Oma Desala," Daniel began. "At the time, we didn't realize what she was, only that she was a very powerful being. I learned some things about ascension from one of her students. Two years later, there was an accident that exposed me to a lethal dose of radiation. I was dying. Oma came to me and offered to help me ascend. I took her up on the offer. For a year, I was one of the Ascended. While ascended, I found out that they have rules that forbid them from helping those who are not ascended. I couldn't live with those rules. Something happened that finally made me break them in a big way, and I was punished. I was descended, returned to mortal form with no memory of who I was. I was found by people from Earth and brought home. I soon regained the memories of my life before my ascension, but recalled virtually nothing of that year I was ascended." 

"Do you still not remember?" Teyla asked, still astounded that this man had lived among the Ancients. 

"No, I remember now. I finally regained those memories. Anyway, last year, something happened that led to me discovering that I didn't return to human form quite the same as I was before. I was genetically altered, and there were some mutations in my brain." 

"Doctor Jackson is now genetically closer to the pre-Ascended Ancients than any other human being we know of," Doctor Beckett explained. 

"The differences gave me several different psychic abilities, including the power to move objects at will, control fire and sense the presence of others." 

Sam took up the tale. "A while ago, Daniel had the entire knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain. This happened once before, to General O'Neill, and it nearly killed him." 

McKay nodded. "That amount of knowledge would be way too vast for the human brain to contain." 

Sheppard looked at him. "What? Even yours?" he asked in a snarky tone. 

"Uh, well, I do admit that I might have been able to handle it better than Colonel O'Neill did, but, in time, even my brain would have been overwhelmed." 

"Actually, Rodney," Doctor Beckett said, "it is doubtful that you'd have been able to handle the download at all. In fact, it may not have even worked on you. The Asgard revealed that it is because of the genetic differences in Colonel O'Neill . . . sorry, _General_ O'Neill, that he was able to absorb the knowledge at all." 

McKay was not happy about the doctor's statement and would have made a retort if Elizabeth hadn't stepped in. 

"I believe that's a discussion for another time, gentlemen," she said. "You were saying, Colonel Carter?" 

"The download almost killed Daniel, too," Sam recounted, "but he managed to remove most of the knowledge from his conscious mind and store it in his subconscious." 

"All this resulted in me gaining another ability," Daniel explained. "I can heal injuries and illness in myself and others." 

"He brought me back from the dead," Sam said softly, gazing at the man she owed her life to. 

"Which brings me back to the question I was going to ask," Beckett said. 

"What's that?" Daniel asked. 

"When you heal someone, you must, on some level, be seeing or at least sensing the internal structure of their body, the bones, muscles, blood vessel and tissues. Is that right?" 

Daniel nodded. "More or less. When it comes to an injury, I can sense the damage and just sort of will it to heal." 

"Have you ever attempted to scan, so to speak, the body of a healthy person?" 

"No, I've never had a reason to." 

"Where are you heading with this, Carson?" Elizabeth asked the doctor. 

"I am wondering if Doctor Jackson can go deeper than the physical structures of the body, perhaps down to the cellular level itself." 

"For what purpose?" 

"To find out about the Wraith." Beckett turned back to Daniel. "We got hold of a sample of Wraith tissue--" 

"A sample?" McKay said. "It was a severed hand!" 

"To you it was a severed hand, Rodney. To a geneticist, it was a sample of a Wraith's cellular makeup. What I've learned from it has been incredible, but there are still many unanswered questions. If Doctor Jackson has the ability to see into the living structure of a Wraith's cells and understand what he's seeing, it could be a tremendous help." 

"I couldn't do that with a severed hand," Daniel pointed out. 

"Actually, we have a captured Wraith." 

"You have a Wraith here?" Daniel had to admit that the idea of a Wraith being there gave him the willies. 

"He is in a holding cell," Weir told him. 

"Would you be willing to attempt it, Doctor Jackson?" Beckett asked. 

"I can try, but, even if I can delve that deeply, I can't guarantee that I could learn anything I'd actually be able to understand. You do know that I'd have to touch him to do this, right?" 

"We can stun him. You would be in no danger." 

Daniel thought of something. "Actually, there is something else I can try first, something that might give us valuable information." 

"What is that, Doctor Jackson?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Another ability I have is one that's a little harder to explain. Sometimes, I can touch an object or a person and see things related to it or them, often even look into the past of the object or person." 

"That sounds like psychometry." 

Everyone stared at Major Sheppard in surprise. He shrugged. 

"I had a girlfriend who was into all that stuff," he explained. "One of her favorite movies was 'Vibes', with Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper. Goldblum's character was a psychometrist. He could see things about the people who handled an object just by touching it. I didn't really believe in any of that stuff at the time, but that was before I found out about the Stargate and everything else." 

"So, what are you thinking, Daniel?" Sam asked. 

"That if I touch the Wraith like I did Frank March, that guy who was in The Trust, I could find out some things about the Wraith. There is one possible problem, though." 

"What's that?" Sheppard asked. 

"I have a feeling that I'll learn more if the Wraith is conscious at the time." 

That caused a moment of silence. 

"Doctor Jackson, you apparently don't need to be told what a Wraith is capable of doing," Weir said. 

"Yes, I know what they can do and how they do it." 

"Daniel, I know that you'd normally have no trouble controlling the Wraith," Sam said, "but could you do it while you're trying to find the information?" 

"I don't know. I'd be distracted with that." 

Elizabeth shook her head. "Unless we could be certain of your safety, I could not allow you to do this." 

"Then we'll have to figure something out. I think this could be important." 

Doctor Weir thought about it, then nodded. "All right, let's go down there." 

The group went to the cell where the Wraith was kept. Daniel gazed at the living specimen of the species he'd seen in his vision. The alien glared at all of them defiantly. 

"Again you are here, but you will learn nothing from me no matter how many times you come," the Wraith said. 

"Well, don't be so sure about that," Sheppard said. 

Daniel took a couple of steps closer. He could sense the alienness of the Wraith's presence. It focused its gaze upon him. 

"Open the door," Daniel said. 

"Doctor Jackson, are you sure about this?" Weir asked. 

"Yes, I'm sure." 

Trusting his judgment, Elizabeth ordered the force field to be lowered. 

"Get back from the door," Sheppard commanded the Wraith, pointing a P-90 at it. 

The Wraith did not comply for a moment, then backed away to the opposite end of the cell. Never taking his eyes off the Wraith, Daniel opened the door and stepped inside. 


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Daniel watched the Wraith, which stared right back at him. "Before you start thinking about attacking me, I should tell you that I could kill you before you got even halfway across this cell." 

The Wraith sneered at him, baring pointed teeth. "You carry no weapon." 

"Actually, he doesn't need one," Sheppard told the alien. 

The Wraith didn't listen. With surprising speed, he came at Daniel. But before Sheppard could even lift the barrel of his weapon, the alien was hurled across the cell to smash with stunning force against the bars. Even having heard what Daniel could do, the sight still surprised most of them, making Teyla gasp. 

They weren't nearly as surprised as the Wraith, however. The alien rose off the floor where he had fallen and studied Daniel more closely. 

"I did warn you," Daniel told him. 

"What weapon do you use on me?" the Wraith asked. 

Daniel tapped on the side of his head. "One right inside here." 

The Wraith stared at him narrowly, then rather stupidly tried to attack him again. The alien stumbled backward as fire abruptly sprang up between him and the human he intended to kill. It forced him backward against the bars, burning tongues licking close to his body. On the other side of the flames, Daniel stood staring at him, the light of the fire reflecting on his glasses in such a way that it looked like the flames were dancing in his eyes. 

The fire guttered out, leaving no smoke in its wake. 

"Sam, tell him what I did to the Supersoldier," Daniel requested. 

Surprised, Sam stared at him for a second or two, then complied. "The Supersoldiers are Goa'uld drones protected inside a virtually indestructible suit of armor. One was attacking us. Daniel couldn't do anything about the armor, so he . . . he burned the Supersoldier to death inside its armor." 

Sheppard grimaced. "Oh, man. That had to hurt." 

Daniel's gaze pierced into the Wraith. "I'd suggest that you don't try to attack me again." 

The Wraith looked back at this man who appeared human, yet possessed power far surpassing that of any human the Wraith had ever known. If he attempted to attack, he did not doubt that this one was fully capable of burning him to death. Though the Wraith did not fear dying, that manner of death did frightened him. 

"What do you want?" he asked. 

"To know about your species." 

"You know all you need to, that we are the ones who will destroy everyone on this world." 

"Well, until that time comes, we're going to get to know you better. But, in order to do that, I'm going to have to touch you." Daniel studied the alien. "Oh, you're not going to cooperate are you." He glanced over his shoulder. "Do you have some heavy chain?" 

"Sure," Sheppard replied. 

"Could you get some? We're going to have to bind him." 

The major contacted someone and asked for some chain to be brought. 

While they were waiting for it, Daniel felt an odd tickling sensation in his mind. Realizing what was happening, he focused a glare on the Wraith, who roared in pain, clutching his head and falling to his knees. 

"What's going on?" McKay yelled. 

Instead of answering the question, Daniel asked one of his own. "The Wraith have psychic abilities?" 

"We know that they have the ability to fool the senses of humans," Telya replied, "make them see things that are not there." 

"Well, I don't know if that's what he just tried with me, but he tried to do something." Daniel stared at the Wraith, who had recovered from what the archeologist did. "You won't be trying that again, will you." 

The alien's reply was an angry silence. 

When a man arrived with the chain, he and Sheppard bound the Wraith's arms to one of the cell's bars as Daniel psychically held the alien in place in a seated position. The men wrapped the chain around several times to make certain the Wraith couldn't break free. 

Once that was done, the man who'd brought the chain left the cell. Sheppard opted to stay inside, his weapon trained on the Wraith just in case. 

Daniel walked up and knelt before the alien, meeting the Wraith's gaze. Pure hatred looked back at him. He pressed the palm of his hand to the Wraith's forehead and closed his eyes. Focusing his abilities, Daniel turned them upon the alien, seeking knowledge of their kind, who and what they were. 

Digging deeper than he ever had before, he saw flashes of images, years and then centuries of time compressed into the space of minutes. And then he saw something that utterly shocked him, shattering the vision. 

The archeologist stood and stepped back, staring at the creature with new eyes. 

"Release him," he said. 

The chains were removed, and all the humans began backing out of the cell. 

It was then that the Wraith attacked again, but this attack was not aimed at Daniel. 

The young marine who had brought the chain suddenly shouted, "Something's in the room!" Startled, he bumped into Sheppard, whose head had turned in the direction the man had pointed. 

In that moment when Daniel was distracted, the Wraith came at him again. With only a few feet separating them, the alien had reached him before he could react. There was a searing pain in his left arm. Daniel's mind reacted instinctively. Fire engulfed the Wraith, who screamed in agony. Daniel almost immediately put the fire out, but the alien had already been badly burned in several places. 

"Daniel!" Sam shouted, running up to the cage. "Are you all right?" 

The archeologist looked down at his arm. There was a bloody rent in the fabric of his sleeve. "Yeah, it's nothing serious." 

Sam glaring down at the Wraith, who lay panting on the ground. "What about him?" 

"The Wraith have highly advanced regenerative abilities," Doctor Beckett replied. "They heal with extraordinary speed. The burns will most likely be gone in a short time." 

The three humans left the cell, and Weir ordered the force field to be turned back on. 

"I'm sorry, sir," apologized the marine. "I saw something streak across the room." 

"It was an illusion created by the Wraith," Teyla told him. "We know that trick well. It is used to frighten and confuse their victims, to distract them from the real danger." 

"Let me take a look at that arm," Beckett said, stepping up to Daniel. He very carefully ripped open the sleeve to reveal two slashes in the skin of Daniel's arm. "It looks as if he got you with his claws. Wicked things. It'll take some stitches, I'm afraid." 

"Actually, that won't be necessary," Daniel told the doctor. He laid a hand over the wounds and closed his eyes. When the hand was removed about twenty seconds later, all traces of the injury were gone, except for the blood. With an amazed smile, Beckett wiped away the blood with a cloth. 

"Incredible," he murmured. 

Those who had never seen Daniel use his healing abilities before stared at his arm, lips parted in surprise. 

"Damn. I wish I could do that," Sheppard said. 

Daniel looked over at the Wraith. The alien had risen onto an elbow, clearly still in a lot of pain. He stared at the place on Daniel's arm where, only seconds ago, his claws had torn tender flesh. His eyes then looked into Daniel's. 

"What are you?" he asked. "You are not human. The Ancients could heal themselves, but none had the power to do what you can." 

"No, I _am_ human," Daniel answered. 

"But one the likes of which you have never seen," Teyla stated, "one with power the Wraith cannot match." 

The Wraith struggled up halfway into a sitting position. He bared his teeth in a horrendous parody of a smile. "He is one man. We are many. In the end, he will be fed upon, just as the rest of you will." 

"Come on," Elizabeth said. "Let's get out of here." 

They returned to the briefing room. Daniel took off his BDU shirt. There was some blood on the black T-shirt beneath, but at least the material was whole. The eyes of more than one person in the room kept returning to the unblemished skin of his arm. 

"The power you used against the Wraith was incredible," Teyla said in admiration and deep respect. "You could kill many with such power." 

"Yes, I could, but not enough to make that much of a difference. There are limits to what I can do. If I use my abilities too much, it can harm me. It's already happened more than once." 

"Even so, you would be a great weapon against them." 

Daniel didn't reply. He knew that he could help here in the Pegasus galaxy, but he could not abandon the fight against the Goa'uld. 

"What did you learn from the Wraith, Doctor Jackson?" Weir asked. 

"Something pretty surprising. They used to be human." 

"What?!" exclaimed everyone else in the room. 

"I can't begin to understand it, but the Wraith are a . . . a combination of two species, human and another that I can't name, some kind of insect, I think." 

The Atlantis team members immediately knew what he was talking about. 

"We know of the insect," Doctor Beckett said. "We had a run-in with one not long ago." 

"Yeah, run-in is right," Sheppard responded. "The thing nearly sucked the life out of me." 

"We concluded at the time that it may be related to the Wraith, perhaps what they originally evolved from. But we did not guess that the Wraith may also be related to humans." The doctor began to get excited. "This could be of significant importance." 

"Do you think that it would enable us to devise a weapon against them?" Elizabeth asked. "Some sort of biological warfare?" 

"That is possible. I'm going to have to do more tests, obtain some fresh tissue samples from our friend in the holding cell. Thank you, Doctor Jackson. This could help us tremendously." 

Daniel gave the man a nod. 

Elizabeth got to her feet. "Well, I think that we've put Doctor Jackson though enough for one day. Doctor, Colonel. I'll take you to your quarters so that you can unpack and relax for a while." 

When Daniel and Sam arrived at their quarters, they were happy to see that it was quite spacious. Better than that, it had a large bed. 

"I made the assumption that you would prefer to share quarters," Weir said with a smile. 

"Yes, thank you," Sam responded. 

Doctor Weir excused herself, leaving them to unpack and relax for a while. 

Daniel stripped off the bloody T-shirt and threw it in the sink. He might be able to get the blood out. 

Sam ran a hand over where he had been wounded. She kissed him there, then hugged him. 

"That could have been a lot worse," she said. 

Daniel nodded. "The Wraith are a whole lot more dangerous than the Goa'uld. I underestimated him." 

She met his eyes. "You could have let him die, not put out the fire." 

"Yes, I could have, but you know me well enough to know I wouldn't do something like that, not unless I had to." 

Sam smiled and kissed him. "Yes, I do." 

They got busy unpacking, Daniel putting on a clean T-shirt. 

"This place is amazing, isn't it," he remarked as he hung up some of his clothes. 

"You aren't kidding. We could spend years here and not see everything." Sam studied Daniel. "I saw the look on your face when Teyla made that comment about you being a great weapon against the Wraith." 

Daniel stopped unpacking. "I still believe that my place is at the SGC, fighting the Goa'uld, but I can't deny that I probably could help here. For all I know, just being here could make me remember more of the Ancient knowledge. I might very well remember the plans to that space gun Jack wants so badly, one that could help here and back home." 

"Yes, but that's not guaranteed, Daniel. As for fighting Wraith, unless you joined one of the teams that goes on missions, when would you actually encounter any? Would you be willing to go out there for the sole purpose of killing Wraith, become some kind of assassin?" 

Daniel sighed. "No, I don't think I would." He sat on the bed. "I saw a lot of things when I touched that Wraith. I learned things about them that gave me a clearer picture of who and what they are. They feed on humans because they have to, just like we have to eat to survive. When they are denied food, it's very painful to them and weakens them dramatically. I'm not justifying what they do, not at all. From that Wraith, I learned that they like what they are, what they do. Even if there was another way they could survive, I think that most of them would not stop feeding upon humans. Yet. . . ." 

"What?" Sam inquired. 

"I don't know. Maybe it's a feeling, but something is telling me that, with some of the Wraith, perhaps only a very few, if they could be made to look at us as more than a source of food, they might actually . . . I don't know, not be our friends or allies, but perhaps respect us enough that they'd be willing find another way to survive." 

Daniel looked down at the shirt in his hand. "But regardless of whether I'm right or not, I would not be willing to become what you said, an assassin, someone who goes out there specifically to slaughter Wraith. When the Tok'ra asked me to use that poison at the Goa'uld summit, I hated the thought of what I'd be doing. I really didn't want to do it. But I felt that it needed to be done. Afterwards, I was relieved that I didn't do it." 

The couple finished unpacking. Daniel decided that he should write a report about what he'd seen in his vision. While he was doing that, Sam went off to find McKay and the power generator. She got directions to his lab from someone passing by. 

"Ah, Colonel Carter," the Canadian said as she entered the lab. "All settled in?" 

"Yes, we are." Sam put a little extra emphasis on the "we" just to make it clear to McKay that she and Daniel were still a couple. By the look on the man's face, he got the hint. 

"As I was going to tell you before, I've already been working on improving the stability and power output of that device you and Doctor Jackson built, and I'm confident that I'll succeed." 

The Canadian's statement didn't surprise Sam. "How much do you know about liquid Naquadah?" 

McKay's smugness faltered ever so slightly. "Well, I admit that I have not done any studies on it. I've never actually had access to any until now." 

"Uh huh. Well, as it so happens, I have done in-depth studies on its properties, including the risks in working with it. It is far more dangerous to work with than Naquadah in its solid form, and there are a great many things that have to be taken into consideration when using it as a power source. But, hey, if you'd rather work on this all by yourself, go right ahead. Hopefully, you won't blow yourself or anyone else up." 

Sam began to turn away but was stopped by McKay. 

"Wait. I didn't say that you couldn't help. I'm sure I could do it by myself, but we might have a working power module a little faster if the two of us work together." 

Sam decided that was as good as she was going to get from McKay and got to work with him, thinking that she might be able to make it through the day without actually shooting the man. She wasn't sure about the rest of the three weeks. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel handed his report to Elizabeth. 

"I thought that I should write down everything I saw and learned about the Wraith in my vision," he explained. 

"Thank you. I'll look forward to reading it. So, are you ready to get started on diving into the information stored in the database? I should warn you that there is a massive amount of data. It would take many years to go through it all, far more than a lifetime." 

"Yes, I am." 

"May I ask if there is something in particular that you want to focus on?" 

"Well, being an archeologist and anthropologist, I'd love to delve into the historical and cultural stuff, but I think that, first, I'd like to take a look at their research on ascension." 

Doctor Weir smiled. "I can't say that I'm surprised, not given your history. All right, I happen to know that we have dug up a little something on that. I'm sure that you could find even more. There is one of two ways this can be done. Either we can set you up at one of the workstations or you can use the holographic interface. The interface is good for first-time users, but if you're going to be at this for several hours at a time, you'll be more comfortable at a workstation." 

"As long as you can have someone show me how to operate one, a workstation will be fine." 

"Certainly. I'll have someone take you to one and show you how to use it." 

Two hours later, Daniel was already deep into his research, immersed within the Ancients' search for the key to ascension. It didn't take him long to see that it had been approached from several different avenues, some of which did not involve the spiritual enlightenment that Oma had claimed was vital to reaching ascension. Some of the Ancients had apparently believed that it could be achieved strictly through scientific means. Others argued for the more spiritual approach. Knowing what he already did about ascension, Daniel chose to follow the research that involved that second thing. 

By the time Sam tracked Daniel down three hours later, he was so deeply into his studies that he didn't feel her approach. 

"Hey, are you aware of what time it is?" she asked. 

"What?" Daniel looked at his watch. "Wow, I had no idea it was that late. I wasn't paying any attention." 

Sam smiled. "Something tells me that I'm going to have to have Doctor Weir assign a babysitter to you to prevent you from starving to death while you're here." 

Daniel's mouth quirked upward. "Uh huh, and how long ago did _you_ stop working?" 

"Um, well, just a few minutes ago, actually." 

The upward tilt of Daniel's lips became a smile. 

"Oh, all right, so we'll _both_ need babysitters," Sam admitted. "Actually, if I keep working with McKay, I won't have to worry about forgetting to eat. The man starts to whine when he goes any length of time without eating." 

"Yes, so how's that working out?" 

"I'm already considering taking Sheppard up on his offer to dump McKay's body over the side." 

Daniel grinned. "Perhaps you should let McKay know that he'll need to make sure his will is up to date if he doesn't behave." 

"How about if I just tell him that I'll sic you on him? That should curb the attitude. I wonder if he ever realized that it was you who did those things to him." Sam suddenly grinned wickedly. "Maybe I'll bring it up tomorrow." 

"Poor McKay. You'll have the man cowering in his shoes." 

"Hey, nothing like a good dose of sheer terror to temporarily knock your ego down a few pegs. Of course, that's all it would be, a temporary fix. McKay likely came out of the womb with that ego and will, no doubt, still have it the day he dies, even if he's a senile old man. But enough about him. Let's go eat. I'm starving." 

They went to the commissary. As they ate, Sam asked Daniel talked about what he'd learned so far. He told her that he was focusing on the research regarding ascension. 

"Actually, in a way, it's a little strange reading about it," he said. 

"How so?" 

"Well, I know what it's like to ascend. I remember what it felt like and the things I had to do to achieve it. Reading that research--their theories and studies, the misconceptions and mistaken opinions--is a little strange. For instance, some of them believed that you would need to have evolved to the point where you were using at least eighty percent of your brain's capacity for synaptic activity in order to be able to ascend at all. I know that's not true. Some among those people believed that once you reached ninety to ninety-five percent, ascension would be assured. Both Jack and I reached that level when we had the Ancient knowledge in our minds, yet neither of us ascended. Of course, that could have been because our brains were getting scrambled." 

"Do you think you'll learn anything important?" Sam asked. 

"I think so, although I have to wonder." 

"About what?" 

"If somewhere in that research is information that will give us the key to figuring out how to ascend, are we really ready for that? The Ancients were millions of years ahead of us. As a society, they were far more prepared for that step. We're still . . . very young." 

"Well, even if we _could_ figure it out, anyone who ascended would be subject to the same rules that you were, so it's not like we'd have to worry about someone running around on a power trip." 

"To be honest, Sam, though I know that an Ascended is not allowed to interfere in the affairs of unascended beings, I'm not sure if going around blasting things for the fun of it would qualify as interference." 

"So, what are you saying, that you weren't even allowed to help a single person when they needed it, but if you'd wanted to blast a city to ruins just for the hell of it, you could have?" 

"No, I'm not saying that. I just don't know what their rules include. Oma didn't fully explain them to me, probably because those who have truly reached enlightenment wouldn't even consider using their powers just for fun or because they felt like it." Daniel smiled. "Which kind of tells you something about me since not every time I use my abilities is out of necessity." 

Sam also smiled. "Hey, I happen to think that you can be enlightened and still have fun. What good would it be if you can't?" 

Daniel grinned. "I agree, though I can't say that I actually had _fun_ while I was ascended." 

"Well, if you ever ascend again, you'll have to go out and have a good time." 

They both laughed and resumed eating. Afterwards, they decided to take a walk and ended up on one of the balconies. They gazed up at the unfamiliar stars, then out across the moonlit ocean. 

"It is beautiful here," Sam said. 

"Yes, it is. I wonder of some if the personnel wish they could have brought a boat. A nice little sailing trip on an alien ocean would have its appeal." 

"Mmm. I could go for that. It's a shame the water's probably cold. A swim would be nice, too." 

Daniel remembered that day on their off-world vacation when they nearly made love. "Followed by some sunbathing?" 

Sam smiled, also remembering. "Absolutely." 

"Darn. I forgot to bring my bathing suit." 

Sam turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well, if we found someplace nice and private, we wouldn't need bathing suits, now would we." 

Smiling, Daniel took Sam's lips with his. The kiss went on for quite some time. 

"Hey, I've got an idea on what we can do for the rest of the evening," Daniel whispered in his lover's ear. 

Sam smiled, having a hunch that she knew what his idea was. "What's that?" 

"Christen that nice big bed in our quarters." 

"Sounds like an excellent idea to me." 

Laughing like teenagers, Daniel and Sam made their way to their quarters. They made short work of each other's clothes. An instant later, Sam found herself up against the wall, legs wrapped around Daniel's waist. She moaned as his mouth found her breasts. 

"I thought we were going to christen the bed," she gasped, "not the wall." 

Seconds later, she was on the bed, Daniel's body on top of hers. 

"The wall can wait till next time," he told her before his mouth crashed down upon hers. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning, Sam walked into McKay's lab with a light step. As was usually the case after a night of lovemaking with him, she felt happy and energized. 

"You certainly look happy this morning," the Canadian commented, taking a bite of some kind of breakfast bar. 

"Yes, I'm feeling great," Sam responded, deciding not to hide her good mood. 

"Any particular reason?" 

_'Oh, I really shouldn't,'_ said Sam's more sensible self. _'Yes, but it would be so much fun,'_ responded the mischievous side. The mischievous side won the argument. 

"Oh, just three hours of mind-blowing sex, that's all," Sam remarked in a deliberately offhand manner. 

It took a lot of control not to laugh at the look on McKay's face. He choked on his breakfast bar, his eyes getting really huge. As he coughed, he very quickly turned away. 

Clamping down on her laughter, Sam went over to the device. It took a while for McKay to stop coughing and join her. He studiously avoided her eyes when he did. 

Interestingly, McKay was actually bearable for the next couple of hours. Too bad it didn't last longer than that. The attitude soon started up again. After half an hour of arguing with him over one component, Sam suddenly said, "You've heard of Casper, haven't you?" 

The Canadian stared at her, perplexed. "Casper? As in the Friendly Ghost?" 

"Yes, there's that Casper, but there's also Daniel's Casper." 

"What?" 

"Well, you see, there was this nosy journalist who got on Daniel's bad side, and Daniel, well, haunted him, tormented the man for hours with his telekinetic abilities. Poor Mister Bregman. He didn't know about Daniel's abilities and was led to believe that he was being targeted by a malicious poltergeist. Ever since then, when Daniel gets a bit ticked off at someone, you just never know when 'Casper' will be resurrected." Sam gave the man a meaningful look. 

McKay got the message, almost subconsciously touching his rear end. From then on, though they still disagreed about things, the man's attitude was a lot more polite and reasonable. With the bickering at an end, they got a lot more accomplished, McKay discovering that Sam actually was right about some things, though he wanted to believe that he'd have come to the right conclusions himself if he'd been working alone. 

Sam joined Daniel for lunch. 

"You know, Casper can work really well even when he's not around," Sam remarked. 

Daniel looked at her in amusement. "So, you went ahead and did it, didn't you." 

"Well, it was either that or go get my sidearm. I figured this alternative wouldn't put me in the brig." 

"Wise choice. So, he's behaving himself now?" 

"Yes, although I doubt it will last for our entire time here. I'll be lucky if it lasts the rest of the day. The man is brilliant, but he's impossible to work with. I honestly don't know how the rest of the scientists here put up with him on a regular basis. I'm so glad that he never came to work for the SGC." 

Daniel sympathized with her. "Are you getting anywhere?" 

"Yes, especially after we stopped arguing. I did manage to find some references in the Ancient database about something that I think might be the original version of that power generator. Unfortunately, I didn't find much. But I think that we will succeed in coming up with something that'll be a lot more efficient. I doubt that anything we make will dial an intergalactic wormhole more than a few times before needing more fuel, but it will be much better than what we have now and a lot more stable." Sam took a bite of her sandwich. "So, how about you?" 

"I found something in their research that made me remember something Oma told me." 

"What's that?" 

"She said that there are many planes of existence between this one and ascension. From what I read today, this was something that the Ancients began to suspect farther along in their research." 

"So, there are planes that are like lower rungs of the ladder? Does that mean that someone could gradually work their way up to ascension through those other planes?" 

"That's one of the things the Ancients were theorizing about, but I don't know if it's possible. Oma never said. I have to wonder what those other planes are like. We might have had some experience with one of them." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Anubis is half-ascended. What if that means he's on one of those lower planes of existence? What I read said that, when the Ascended tried to descend him, he got stuck halfway. Could that mean that he got stuck on a level halfway between their plane of existence and ours?" 

Sam thought about that. "It makes sense, and it would explain a lot." 

"Yeah." Daniel frowned down at his sandwich. 

"What's wrong?" 

"I just have this nagging feeling that there's something more, something I should know." 

"You mean from when you were ascended?" 

"I don't know. Though I now remember that year, I don't recall everything I saw and learned. But it might not even be from then. It could have something to do with the Ancient knowledge, some puzzle piece that's trapped in my subconscious. Whatever it is, I have a feeling that it's important." 

"I guess all we can do is hope that you remember or maybe find it in your research." 


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Daniel didn't find anything of significance in his research the next day, but Sam and McKay did make great strides in coming up with a better power generator. 

The following day, Daniel went to the mainland with Teyla. He could have flown the puddle jumper himself, but since he had never done so before and had never been to the Athosian village, Elizabeth decided it would be best if they had a pilot. 

The village lay within a meadow surrounded by forest. Being only about a quarter mile from the ocean, it was a good location, enabling the Athosians to catch fish and other seafood. As they passed the shoreline, Daniel had noticed several small, partially built wooden boats. 

He and Teyla were met by Halling, one of the leaders of the Athosians, and several others. 

"Halling, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson, the man I spoke to you about," Teyla introduced. 

Halling bowed his head. "We are deeply honored to meet you, Doctor Jackson. Teyla has told us much about you. You are the first we have met who has been one with the Ancients." 

"It is an honor to meet you as well," Daniel responded. "I'm looking forward to learning about your people." 

"It will be our pleasure to share our knowledge and culture with you." The man gestured for Daniel to come with him. "Come. We have prepared a place for us to talk." 

Daniel was led to a tent. An elderly woman was within, sitting at a table. Her eyes studied Daniel closely. 

"Daniel, this is Charin," Teyla said, a tender expression of love on her face. "She is like a grandmother to me." 

"I'm pleased to meet you," Daniel said. He realized that she was the only person of advanced age that he'd seen among the Athosians. Where were the other elderly? 

They all took seats around the table. 

"Teyla has revealed to us the power you possess because of your ascension," Charin said, her keen old eyes still studying Daniel. "Such power could bring much death." 

Daniel's gaze did not leave hers. "Yes, it could. I have taken lives with it, those that I had to, but power like this also comes with the responsibility to use it wisely, to not abuse it." 

As if he had just passed some sort of test, Charin nodded, smiling. "It does indeed." 

During the next two hours, Daniel learned a great deal about the Athosians. In return, he told them some things about his year with the Ancients. 

They took a break for lunch, then Daniel went for a walk through the village. Teyla accompanied him. 

"Teyla, where are all the other elderly?" the archeologist asked after a few minutes. 

"There are no others," she replied sadly. "It is very rare for one of my people to reach an advanced age. They are usually culled long before then." 

"Culled?" 

"Taken by the Wraith to be fed upon." 

It sickened Daniel that the word could be used in reference to humans. "I'm sorry that your people have had to live that way." 

"We are not the only ones. We trade with many people on many worlds, and I have yet to see a human civilization that does not know the horror of the Wraith. Your people are most fortunate that they live in a galaxy that does not possess Wraith." 

"Yeah, well, we have our own problems." Daniel glanced at her. "Have you been told about the Goa'uld?" 

"I have heard the word mentioned, but I know very little." 

Daniel described what the Goa'uld were and how they took unwilling hosts. "They have killed and enslaved countless millions of humans for thousands of years. They are utterly evil, with no regard for human life. They seek dominion over everyone and everything." 

"You say that they steal the bodies of unwilling humans, taking possession of them?" 

"Yes. The hosts are powerless to do anything while their bodies are used to commit terrible acts. My wife was taken as a host." 

Teyla rested a hand on his arm. "I am sorry. Did you ever save her?" 

"No. She was killed five years ago. For a long time, I grieved for her, but I finally realized that it was far better for her to have died than to have continued to live in that hell." 

Teyla nodded. "I would not wish to live like that." 

Their steps eventually took them out of the village and toward the shore. As they walked, Teyla gazed at Daniel's profile. "I must confess something to you." 

Daniel looked down at her. "What's that?" 

"I learned that Doctor Weir asked that you remain on Atlantis, but you refused." 

"And you wondered why since I could help fight the Wraith." 

"Yes, but I understand now. Your first responsibility must be to fight against the Goa'uld. Though the horror of being fed upon by a Wraith is great, the pain lasts only moments, and then your suffering is over. Those who are made hosts to the Goa'uld must suffer for far, far longer. I would far rather die at the hands of a Wraith than live thousands of years with my body enslaved by a creature that used it to harm others while I watched helplessly." 

Daniel nodded. "So would I. My brother-in-law was taken at the same time that Sha're was. Unlike her, he was freed. He spoke about the horror of the years he was a host. It haunted him for a very long time. I had another friend who was also taken and, later, rescued. She's still recovering from it. I have a lot of hope that, one day, we'll defeat the Goa'uld. Many of the Jaffa, the race that has been their warriors for millennia, are rebelling against them. One of them, a man named Teal'c, is on my team and is a very good friend. The more Jaffa that rebel, the weaker the Goa'uld become. I don't know how much longer it will take, but I have a feeling that day is coming when they'll be brought down." 

"I hope that is so." 

They reached the beach. Dark clouds were on the horizon, promising rain. 

"Where we lived before, there was no ocean nearby," Teyla said. "I enjoy walking on the beach." 

There was a low rumble of thunder, drawing their attention back to the clouds. 

"I'd say that today isn't a good day for the beach," Daniel remarked. 

"No, and I fear that we will become wet if we do not return to the village," Teyla responded. 

There was another rumble, louder than the last. 

"I think you may be right," Daniel said. "It's moving up fast." 

They began to retrace their steps. They'd gone only a few yards when Daniel froze in his tracks, a warning of danger sweeping through him. His head jerked to the right, his sixth sense telling him where the threat lie. 

Just barely visible because of the nearby trees, a thick column of smoke rose into the air in the distance. 

"Fire!" Teyla cried, seeing the smoke. "We must warn the village! If the direction of the wind changes, it will be threatened." 

Daniel and Teyla ran the distance back to the village. The woman told several people about the fire and commanded that the warning be spread. She and Daniel then headed to the puddle jumper. 

"Get on the radio," Daniel ordered the pilot, who was standing outside. "We need to evacuate the Athosians." The man immediately complied, going into the ship. The archeologist turned to Teyla. "Start gathering your people. It'll take a while for the jumpers to get here. In that time, we can. . . ." 

Daniel's gaze suddenly grew distant, his mind elsewhere. 

"Daniel?" Teyla inquired, seeing the faraway expression on his face. 

"Oh my God," he said. His eyes turned to Teyla. "Someone's trapped in the fire, Teyla! I saw two children." 

Horrified, the woman turned in the direction of the fire, though they could not see it from there. "The jumper! It could find them." 

"The jumper couldn't land in the middle of a forest fire. Even if the pilot could find them, there's nothing he could do." Daniel's expression hardened. "But there's something I could do." 

He dashed into the jumper. "Get us in the air. There are two kids trapped in the fire." 

"What? But--" the pilot began. 

"Just do it!" Daniel snapped. 

Only a complete idiot would have refused. Sergeant Morton was not an idiot. 

Daniel turned to Teyla, intending to tell her that she didn't have to go with them. Before he could utter the words, she said, "I am going." 

Grimly, the archeologist nodded. 

They took off and headed for the forest fire. As they drew close, Daniel's sixth sense, seeking the presence of the children, detected them off to the south. He directed the pilot. The intensity of the fire made it impossible for the man to fly low. Tongues of flame shot upward into the sky as if seeking to grasp the small craft. The fire was still small, perhaps no more than a few dozen acres, but it was spreading rapidly. Daniel feared that the human lives he could still sense would be extinguished before he could reach them. 

"There! Up ahead!" he cried, pointing. He closed his eyes and sought the children out with his mind. Then he saw them in his mind's eye. They were huddled in a stream, partially sheltered by a boulder. It and the water were the only things saving them from the flaming debris that was falling all about, from the ravening fire consuming everything around them. 

Above the heads of the children, the trees were ablaze, creating a roof of flames. There was no place for the puddle jumper to land, and, to his horror, Daniel knew that his plan to snatch the children up psychically was not going to work. He would have to beat back the raging flames at the same time as he telekinetically lifted the kids, something he did not know if he could do. If his attention strayed for an instant, if he lost control, the children could fall or the fire might engulf them. 

"Where's the closest place we can land?" he asked the pilot. 

"Land?! Are you nuts?" 

"Look, either you land this thing or I will, and trust me when I say that I can take control from you." 

Morton stared at him, seeing the intent in the hard blue gaze. "Okay, okay. There's some rocky ground about a hundred yards away. It's free of fire." 

The pilot took the jumper there and landed. Daniel left the ship, Teyla on his heels. He looked at her. 

"Teyla, you can't come with me. It's too dangerous." 

"You may need my help. If the children are injured, you cannot carry both of them." 

Daniel knew that she was right. He reluctantly nodded, then turned back to Morton. "Give me a radio." The man handed him one. "Take the ship back up, but don't leave this area. We'll bring the kids back here, and you can pick us up. Radio Atlantis and tell them that we may have burn victims." 

"Sir, how the hell are you going to get them? It's suicide!" 

Daniel didn't reply. He and Teyla hurried in the direction of the trapped kids. They paused, staring at the flames before them. The heat was tremendous. Daniel desperately hoped that he could beat the fire back long enough to rescue the children. 

Delving deep into the power within his mind, Daniel took a step toward the fire. It moved back, as if unseen hands pushed it aside. He took another step, then another. Teyla, her mind filled with awe, watched as he took control of the fire, bent it to his will. It parted before them, opening a clear path. Daniel picked up the pace, his mind focused fully on the fire and on the life force of the children he was seeking to save. Distantly, he felt the stinging and burning of cinders striking his exposed skin. Thankfully, most of the smoke was being lifted high into the air. 

By the time they were halfway to the kids, the pain in Daniel's head was too great to ignore. Ruthlessly shoving it aside, he and Teyla pressed onward, the heat making them dizzy and light-headed. It seemed like an eternity before they saw the stream ahead. They picked up the pace and were soon splashing in the shallows. 

Taking precious but desperately needed seconds, they both dropped down into the water, saturating their hair and clothing and taking great gulps of the cool and welcome liquid. Then they rose to their feet, and Daniel led them upstream. The stream was wider here, keeping the flames away and giving Daniel a welcome break. 

They'd been running upstream for perhaps two minutes, when they both saw two small figures crouched in the water ahead, up against the bulk of a boulder, just as Daniel had seen. He and Teyla dashed forward and knelt beside the children. They both had burns on their arms and faces, the older of the two being the worst. They were barely conscious. 

With great care, Daniel gathered the elder boy up into his arms as Teyla did likewise with the other one. He looked around at the conflagration. Logic was telling him that they should wait here where they would be somewhat sheltered from the fire. With his abilities, he could protect them from burning debris until the fire had passed. But the children needed medical attention as soon as possible. They were probably going into shock. More than that, Daniel's instincts were warning him that it wouldn't be safe to stay here. He had learned long ago to listen to those instincts. 

Daniel looked at the Athosian woman. "We can't stay here. It's not safe." 

Teyla did not question him, putting complete trust in whatever power was telling him they had to leave. 

They headed back downstream to the place they had entered the water. The fire had reclaimed the ground Daniel had cleared. He stared at the flames. He was hurting, the pain in his head telling him very clearly that he was using his power too much. But he had no choice. He had to get himself, Teyla and the children back to that clearing. 

Tapping into the power again, he commanded the flames to move away, and they obeyed. He and Teyla, moving as quickly as they could, went back in the direction they had come. The pain in Daniel's head grew steadily worse, making it harder and harder to concentrate, to keep fighting the fire that roared all about them. At one point, he stumbled, going down on one knee. His mind was blazing in agony, like the forest fire was within it. He was clinging to consciousness with his fingertips. 

With a feeling of horror, Daniel realized that they weren't going to make it. They were not going to get out of here. His mind cried out in denial. It could not end this way! He could not fail the three people whose lives were in his hands. Sam's face came into his mind. He couldn't leave her. 

Rising to his feet, Daniel shut his eyes and dove even deeper into himself, far deeper than he had ever gone before, searching for the power to continue. 

Something happened. A sensation Daniel could not describe filled his whole body. The pain in his head vanished, his exhaustion slipping away. And there was power, a sudden surge welling up inside him and then outward. 

Beside him, Teyla gasped. The air around Daniel had begun to glow with a soft, almost undetectable light. It pulsed faintly as if in time with his heartbeat. The outline of his body almost seemed to blur. His eyes opened, looking as if he gazed at something only he could see, something unimaginably far away. 

All around them, the fire reared back on itself, recoiling like a frightened animal. Daniel stepped forward. Where he walked, the fire quickly retreated, opening a wide pathway before them. Minutes passed as they continued forward, Daniel never wavering. 

At last they reached the clearing. The puddle jumper was hovering overhead. Apparently seeing them, the pilot landed. 

Teyla turned back to Daniel. The strange glow was gone, but the distant look in his eyes remained. He took two steps and then collapsed. 

"Daniel!" Teyla laid the child she held down and checked the archeologist. His eyes were open, but unseeing. She felt for a pulse and found one, but it was very slow. 

The Athosian heard running feet and looked up to see Sergeant Morton hurrying up to them. The man came to a sudden stop when he saw Daniel. 

"Is he dead?" 

"No, but he is in need of a doctor, as are these children. Help me get the children into the jumper, then we will return for him." 

Morton took the older boy from Daniel's limp arms as Teyla picked up the other child. The kids, both of whom were unconscious now, were taken to the jumper and laid on the padded benches. Then the adults returned for Daniel. He was completely unresponsive. With Teyla's help, Morton got the archeologist into a fireman's carry, and they returned to the ship. Daniel was laid on the floor. Seconds later, they were in the air. 

At that moment, the skies opened up, and a virtual flood of rain poured down upon it and the forest. 

The other jumpers were arriving. Knowing that they could handle evacuating the other Athosians. Morton didn't slow down. He headed straight toward Atlantis, radioing that he had three injured people, including Doctor Jackson. 

When Elizabeth heard that Daniel was among the injured, she turned to Sam, who, along with McKay, had come to the control room as soon as they'd learned of the forest fire. They didn't know exactly what was going on. They only knew that a couple of kids were caught in the fire, and that Daniel and Teyla had flown out there in a jumper to rescue them. The ship's pilot hadn't give details on the situation. 

Sam had wanted to fly out there, but all available pilots had already left in jumpers by the time she found out that Daniel was going into the fire. All she'd been able to do was wait and pray that the man she loved was going to be okay. Now, with the news that Daniel was injured, her face had paled, eyes darkening with fear. 

Unable to wait there a moment longer, Sam hurried to the jumper bay, along with Elizabeth and McKay. Doctor Beckett and a medical team were already there. 

It seemed to take forever for the jumper to arrive. As soon as it landed, the waiting people rushed forward. 

When Sam saw Daniel, she felt a sickening lurch in her stomach. He was lying on the floor, glazed eyes staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. 

"Oh, God," Sam choked out. She knelt at his side. "Daniel?" 

"I do not know what is wrong with him," Teyla said. "He got us to the children, pushing the fire back with every step. It was the most incredible sight I have ever witnessed. Coming back with them, he appeared to be in a great deal of pain. At one point, he stumbled. And then. . . ." Her voice faded off, and she shook her head. "I believe that what I saw was a trick of the light, and the glare of the fire was hurting my eyes. I thought that I saw a . . . a glow about him. The look in his eyes was as if his mind was no longer fully there. The fire drew away from us, almost as if fearful of him. He managed to get us to safety, then he collapsed." 

Beckett, who had checked the children first, knelt on the other side of Daniel, having heard what Teyla said. He checked the archeologist's pulse. 

"We need to get him to the infirmary." 

"The children?" Teyla asked. 

"They'll be all right, some second degree burns is the worst of it." 

Daniel and the kids were loaded onto gurneys and taken to the infirmary. Sam stayed right with the gurney holding Daniel. Assuming that the archeologist's condition was as a result of overusing his psychic abilities, Beckett took him to do a scan of his brain. Though the doctor knew that Sam was sick with worry, he insisted that she remain outside. 

A while later, he came back out. The grave look on his face sent Sam's heart plummeting. 

"What's wrong with him?" she asked in a scared voice. 

"I'm afraid I don't know," he told her. "There is some hemorrhaging in the brain tissue, but it doesn't account for the fact that he is in a coma. I see no indications of brain damage. His brain waves are in the very low delta range, and he is completely unresponsive to all stimuli." 

The symptoms made Sam think of when Daniel had the Ancient knowledge downloaded into his brain and put himself in a state of suspended animation. She mentioned it to the doctor. 

"It does appear to bear some similarities, but, while Daniel's pulse and respiration are very slow, they are not nearly that slow." 

"Can you give us any kind of prognosis, Carson?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Not at this time, I'm afraid. At the moment, all we can do is keep him under close observation." 

"How are the children?" 

"Some of the burns are quite nasty, but not nearly as bad as they could have been. They were extremely lucky." 

"If it were not for Daniel, they would be dead," Teyla said. "I have no doubt of that." 

Daniel was put in a separate room in the ICU, where he was hooked up to several monitors. The heart monitor showed the very slow beat of his heart, whereas the EEG recorded the slowness of his brain waves. 

Sam sat down beside him, taking his hand in hers. There was a small bandage on his forearm. She brushed a fingertip over it. 

"A small burn," Carson explained. "He's got a few here and there, probably from bits of burning debris. Teyla also has some. Considering what she's told me it was like in that fire, it is nothing short of a miracle that they weren't burned more." The doctor's eyes went to Daniel's face. "A miracle mostly of his making." He looked at Sam. Her eyes were filled with fear and anguish. He laid a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Now, lass. Don't you go worrying yourself to death. From what I've heard, that man of yours is quite resilient." 

Sam smiled slightly. "Yes, he is." 

Carson patted the shoulder beneath his hand. "Then you just keep thinking positive thoughts." 

Sam looked up at him. "Thank you." 

The doctor nodded and turned away. 

"Doctor Beckett," Sam called after him. "Someone should contact the SGC, let them know what's happened." 

"I'll see to it." 

Weir was the one to place the call to Earth. 

"Doctor Weir," Jack greeted. "Calling to ask for more stuff?" 

"No. I'm afraid that I have some serious news. Doctor Jackson is in the infirmary, in a coma." 

Jack's heart lurched in his chest. "What happened?" 

Elizabeth told him about the fire and Daniel's rescue of the two children. The story left Jack with mixed emotions. He was proud of what Daniel had done, but he was also mad that his friend had done something that put his life at such extreme risk. 

"What's Doctor Beckett saying?" 

"For right now, there's nothing he can do. Daniel's condition is being monitored closely." 

"Do you need anything from us? Medical equipment, medicine, anything?" 

"No, I think we're all right. Doctor Fraiser may want to consult with Doctor Beckett. She has a lot more experience with this." 

"Right. I'll let her know. And keep us updated. We'll send through a couple more of the generators. We've made some more these last few days." 

As the wormhole disconnected, Jack closed his eyes for a moment. 'Dammit, Daniel. Why do you have to do these things?' 

Jack left the control room and headed to the infirmary. Janet was extremely worried when Jack told her about Daniel. 

"I should be there," she said. 

Though he was sure that Doctor Beckett was a good doctor, Jack knew that he'd feel a lot more at ease if Janet was taking care of Daniel. "Can you get someone to take over your duties here?" 

"Doctor Warner and Sheffield would be available." 

"Then do it. We can do without you here for a while, Janet. Daniel needs you more." 

Two hours later, with Daniel's complete medical history in hand, as well as a change of clothes and anything else she thought she might need, Janet stood in the gate room, waiting for the gate to dial. Two men holding power generators were standing beside her. 

Jack came up to her. She stared questioningly at the pack he held. 

"Sir?" 

"Short leave of absence," he said. "Reynolds can hold down the fort for a day or two." 

Another individual entered the gate room, also carrying a pack. 

"Teal'c," Janet said, not surprised. 

The wormhole burst into existence. 

"Here. Give those to us," Jack said to the men with the generators. "We'll take them through." 

Jack took one, Teal'c grabbing the other. They and Janet headed up the ramp and through the gate. 

As they came out the other side, Elizabeth walked toward them in surprise. "General O'Neill, Teal'c. I wasn't expecting you, although I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm sure that Colonel Carter will be happy to see you." 

"Any change in Daniel's condition?" Janet asked. 

"No, I'm afraid not." 

Weir gestured for two men to take the power generators, then she led Jack, Teal'c and Janet to the infirmary. 

"Sir?" Sam said, surprised. "I'm glad you're here. You, too, Teal'c." 

The three new arrivals walked up to Daniel. Janet's trained eyes scanned the readouts on the monitors. Doctor Beckett came in. 

"Doctor Fraiser. I'm glad that you're here," he said. "I have no experience with this sort of thing. I wish it could have remained that way." 

The two doctors walked off to confer. Jack stood beside Daniel's bed across from Sam. 

"I heard about what he did," he said. "Battling a forest fire to save two kids. Sadly, it doesn't really surprise me." 

Sam stroked Daniel's cheek, which felt cold to her touch. "I don't know all the details. I wasn't there. From what I've been told, it was really bad. He and Teyla had to make their way though a good three hundred feet of burning forest to get to the kids, then come back. Sergeant Morton said that part of the forest was an inferno, completely engulfed. I honestly don't know how Daniel managed to do it. When I think of the amount of power he had to use to control that much fire. . . ." She shook her head. "I wouldn't have thought it was possible." 

"Daniel and doing the impossible seem to be synonymous, especially since he gained these abilities of his." Jack caught Sam's eyes. "He's going to be okay, Carter." 

She looked back at him. "Would you be here if you were completely certain of that, sir?" 

Jack didn't reply. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Hours passed as Daniel's teammates remained at his side. His condition neither improved nor declined. Janet and Carson had run a new series of tests and compared the data to when Daniel was in the self-induced suspended animation and the other times that he had used his abilities too much, specifically the time that he blew up the Al'Kesh that was attacking SG-1. Some things matched or were very similar, but other test results bore no resemblance to those other times. There were strange physical anomalies that neither doctor could explain. The results of one test in particular surprised both of them. 

"The PET scan reveals that the activity in Daniel's brain had increased substantially," Janet told everyone gathered in Daniel's room, "at least ten percent from what it was before, which was already at a much higher level than the average person due to his paranormal abilities. It's nothing like what it was when he was carrying the knowledge of the Ancients in his conscious mind, but something has caused a significant increase in synaptic activity." 

"So, what does this mean?" Sam asked. 

"Frankly, we have no idea. It may be that this increase is temporary, as a result of what he did in that fire. Whatever the reason, the increase isn't harmful." 

"What if it means that the Ancient knowledge is slowly leaking back in?" Jack asked. 

"I doubt that's the case, sir. We're really not going to know until he wakes up." 

"And when will that be?" 

"I wish we could say," Carson Beckett replied. "His condition remains unchanged. He is in the equivalent of a Level One coma, which is the deepest level." He looked at the three people he could tell loved Daniel very much. "Studies suggest that some coma patients can hear the voices of people around them even though they can't respond. Talk to him. Let him know that you're here. It will do no harm and may do some good." 

As the doctors left, Daniel's teammates turned back to him. Jack laid a hand on his best friend's shoulder. 

"We're here, Daniel. We're all right here for you. You come back to us, you hear me?" 


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

It was dark. Daniel had been unaware of this until a soft, diffuse light began to slowly brighten the blackness. He looked around. This place was familiar, yet _not_ familiar, alike yet not alike someplace he'd been before. Where was that place? 

"Hello, Daniel." 

Daniel turned to see Oma Desala. "Oma." His eyes looked around again. "Now I remember. When I was dying from the radiation, you brought me to a place like this. Did you bring me here?" 

"No. You came to this place yourself." 

"Am I dying? Or am I already dead?" 

"Neither, but your mind is very far from your body at this moment. It resides in a place neither within your plane of existence nor mine, a place in between." 

"That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." 

"The body is but a vessel for the mind and spirit, Daniel. They are not chained to it." 

"Right. Okay. Astral projection aside, why am I here?" 

"In your battle against the forest fire, you crossed a line, one that no ordinary human could have crossed on their own." 

"What line?" 

"That I cannot tell you. I will only say that you have taken a step down a path that only you have the power to walk upon." Oma turned and began to walk away. "Remember what I have said, Daniel. I cannot teach you what you already know. The knowledge is within you. You need only see it." 

As quickly as she had appeared, Oma was gone. He should have asked her how to get out of this place and back to his body. Okay, that sounded really weird. But then, these days, he sometimes felt like he should change his middle name to Weird. Daniel Weird Jackson. Yep, Jack would say it had a nice ring to it. 

A whisper of sound came to Daniel's ears. It came from everywhere and nowhere, very slowly growing in volume. For a moment, Daniel thought that Oma was returning, but, no, this was something else, some_one_ else. He focused his attention on the voice, and it gained clarity. 

"I finally got Carter to go off and get some real sleep," Jack said. An image of him gradually appeared off to the side. "She's been stuck like glue to your side all this time, only dozed a bit in the cot Beckett brought in. I probably wouldn't have succeeded in making her leave if Fraiser hadn't threatened to stick a needle full of sedatives in her butt. Teal'c is off Kel'no'reeming, so it's just the two of us right now. Fraiser threatened me, too, but I pulled rank. There are advantages to being a general." 

Jack seemed to be looking right at Daniel, though the archeologist knew that his friend couldn't see him here. 

"Doctor Beckett said that there was a chance you could hear us. I hope he's right. We've been talking to you, all of us. You've had some other visitors, too. That girl named Teyla came by, as did a couple more of her people, some guy named Halbert, or something like that, and an old lady who looked at you and said that your spirit was far away, whatever that means. All of Teyla's people are hoping you'll get better. They're really grateful that you saved those kids. The kid'll be fine, by the way, some burns, but nothing really bad. They'd have been goners if it weren't for you. The fire's out. The rain came down in buckets, a regular flood of biblical proportions. They sent a jumper out a while ago to take a look at things. They checked out the place that Teyla said you found the kids. It's a good thing you didn't hang around there. An enormous tree fell across the stream right where that boulder was and took two or three more with it. I don't know if you could have prevented them from falling on top of you. Teyla said she thinks you sensed that it would be too dangerous to stay there. That old Spidey sense was right on the mark again." 

Jack paused a long while. When he spoke again, the forced casualness of his demeanor was gone. "Daniel, don't you get it into your head to leave us. I'm not going to let you do that. Yeah, I know that I don't have much control over you, none at all anymore, but you're damn well going to listen to me now and do what I say. We need you, Earth, the SGC, SG-1, your friends . . . me. _Sam_ needs you. If there's nothing else big enough for you to come back for, then you do it for her. She loves you more than I've seen anyone love anybody, and I know that you feel the same way about her. We _all_ care, Daniel. We all . . . we all love you. Yes, I actually said it, the L word. I should have said it that day two and a half years ago when I sat at your bedside. I guess it's easier to say while you're in a coma, and I can't be certain that you hear me. I've got to keep up that tough Jack O'Neill exterior, after all." Jack's eyes appeared to gaze straight into Daniel's. "We don't want to lose you, Daniel. Don't you go away. You already went away once. I let you go then, but I'm not going to now, not even if a whole myriad of angels come to get you. Or maybe it would be a myriad of Ancients. Whoever. They can't have you. You belong with us." 

Jack's voice stopped, and his image faded away to be replaced by another. Daniel saw Teal'c in a room, sitting cross-legged with several candles around him, eyes closed. Though he could not read the Jaffa's thoughts, he sensed very strongly that Teal'c was thinking about him, sending out his own mental command that Daniel not die. 

"Teal'c, can you hear me?" Daniel asked. "I'm right here." 

The Jaffa showed no indication of having heard Daniel. His form disappeared, another taking its place. Sam lay in the bed that Daniel had shared with her. Her arms were hugging a pillow, which was wet with her tears. Her eyes were open, more tears issuing forth. 

"Please," she whispered. "Please don't die." 

"Sam? Sam, I'm here. Please don't cry," Daniel said. Like Teal'c, she didn't hear him. He gazed upward. "Oma, tell me how to get back!" There was no reply. 

"I cannot teach you what you already know," she had said. Did he already know how to leave this "in between" place? Oma had said that his mind was far away from his body, which sounded wonderfully metaphysical but wasn't much use in figuring out how to get his mind back into his body . . . or whatever he had to do. 

Although he didn't know what good it would do, Daniel closed his eyes and tried to gain an awareness of his physical self. For the longest time, nothing happened, and then he began to feel something. It was faint, tenuous, but it was there. He grabbed onto it, trying to make it real and solid. 

All at once, the light began to fade, the darkness closing in. Before he could even try to stop it, everything went utterly black. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

A sound drew Jack's attention. He looked up to see Sam slip in the room. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying. 

"Carter, I told you to get some sleep," he said. 

Sam settled in the other chair. "I couldn't, sir." She gazed at Daniel. 

"Well, you could at least be resting." 

Sam shook her head. "I can't explain it, sir. I suddenly felt. . . ." 

"Drawn," finished a voice from the doorway. Jack and Sam turned to see Teal'c. 

"Yeah," the astrophysicist agreed. 

"Drawn?" Jack queried, eyebrows lifting. 

"As if Daniel Jackson was calling to me," Teal'c stated. 

Jack's eyebrows went up another notch. "Oookaay." 

A soft sigh from the bed made everyone's head whip around. They were shocked and utterly delighted to see Daniel's eyes flutter open. 

"Daniel!" Sam cried. 

He turned to her and smiled. "Hey, Sam. I made it." 

Jack started to laugh. "You sure did, Danny Boy, after giving us yet another hell of a scare." 

"It is good to see you conscious, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "We were deeply concerned about you." 

"Teal'c, go wake the doctors up and tell them that Daniel's come back from Neverland," Jack said. 

Sam grasped Daniel's hand in a tight grasp. "You have no idea how scared I was, Daniel, how scared we all were." 

"I know, Sam. I'd have come back sooner, but it took a while to figure it out." 

Jack's forehead crinkled in puzzlement. "Say what?" 

Both Janet and Doctor Beckett came hurrying into the room, followed by Teal'c. 

"Hi," Daniel greeted, giving a little wave. 

They stood blinking at him. 

"Uh . . . Daniel?" Janet said. 

"Last time I checked." 

The C.M.O. of Stargate Command shook her head a little, as if clearing it. "Sorry. We just weren't expecting you to regain consciousness so abruptly." 

"You have been in a deep coma for the past thirty-six hours," Beckett explained. 

That surprised Daniel. "That long? It didn't feel that long to me." 

The two doctors glanced at each other. 

"Were you aware all this time?" Carson asked. 

"Um, no, not the whole time. I was . . . someplace else." 

"Where, pray tell?" Jack asked. 

"You'd just think I was nuts, Jack." 

"You mean even more nuts than I already think you are?" 

"Yes." 

Janet stepped forward. "Okay, everyone. Out. Doctor Beckett and I need to run some tests. And all of _you_ need to get some sleep." 

"But--" Sam began. 

"Ah!" Janet said, holding up a finger. She'd sounded suspiciously like Jack. "No buts. You are hereby banned from the infirmary until you get some sleep," her gaze focused on Jack, "and that means _all_ of you, regardless of rank." 

"Little power monger," Jack grumbled. 

Janet's eyes narrowed. "I do have some syringes all ready to be filled with heavy-duty sedatives, General. Sitting in that chair won't protect your butt from a needle for long." 

Daniel snorted loudly, laughter bubbling into his throat. Jack spun around and glared at him. "You laugh and you die, Jackson," he growled. His glare focused on Sam, whose mouth was trembling with the effort not to smile. "And that goes for you too, Colonel." 

"Yes, sir," Sam squeaked, not out of fear but out of the struggle to keep the laughter in. 

Grumbling about not getting the respect befitting a general, Jack got up and left the room. 

"We will return in the morning, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, bowing his head, then leaving. 

Sam got to her feet and leaned over the bed. She kissed Daniel gently. "I love you," she whispered. 

"I love you, too," Daniel said back to her, smiling into her eyes. 

"We'll see you in a few hours." Sam slipped out of the room. 

"Janet, I have nothing but admiration for you," Beckett declared. "I dearly wish that I could intimidate the people in my infirmary the way you can." 

"Unfortunately, that doesn't always work," Janet responded. She pointed at Daniel. "Especially with him, his teammates and General O'Neill. They have, on many occasions, been the bane of my existence, not to mention my most frequent patients." 

"Hey! It's been over three months since I was your patient last," Daniel objected. 

"Only because you either healed yourself or were on another planet while you were in need of medical attention." 

"Well . . . okay, so I'll give you that." 

Janet nodded in satisfaction. Carson smiled. The woman certainly had quite a relationship with these people. 

"How are you feeling, Daniel?" Janet asked as she approached him, penlight in hand. 

"Fine, and you don't need that," he replied, pointing at the light. 

"Humor me." 

Sighing, Daniel put up with having the irritating light shone in his eyes to check pupil response. 

"No headache, dizziness, nausea?" 

"No, no, and no. Like I said, I feel fine." 

Janet stared at him. "Daniel, we all know that your definition of 'fine' and mine are poles apart." 

"Janet, I swear, I feel perfectly fine, well as fine as I can feel with a Foley catheter and an IV stuck in me, which I'd really like out now, the catheter in particular." 

Janet smiled. "Let's leave them in for now. We're going to want to do some tests." 

With one exception, all the tests showed that everything was back to normal. The exception was the PET scan. It still showed the increased synaptic activity. 

"Daniel, can you tell us what happened in the forest?" Carson asked. "We got most of the story from Teyla. She told us that, at one point, something strange happened to you." 

"Yeah. We were on our way back. I was in a lot of pain, just barely holding onto consciousness. I didn't think we were going to make it. I tried to dig deeper, find more strength from somewhere. I felt . . . something." 

"Can you describe it?" Carson asked. 

"I felt as if I'd tapped into a new source of power, but it was much more than that. All I can say is that I felt different. The pain was gone, and I wasn't tired anymore. When I opened my eyes, everything looked sharper, clearer, like the difference between wearing my glasses and not wearing them, but in a far greater degree. What was even stranger is that the heat from the fire didn't bother me anymore. I barely noticed it. We went the rest of the way without any problems. It took very little effort to control the fire. In fact, it's like I wasn't really putting any thought into it. I was just doing it. The last memory I have is making it into the clearing, that is until. . . ." 

"Until what?" 

"Until I woke up . . . someplace else." 

"You said that before, Daniel. What do you mean?" Janet asked. 

"It's difficult to describe. Oma was there." 

Beckett's eyes widened slightly. "Oma Desala? The Ancient who helped you ascend?" 

"Yeah. She said that my mind was far from my body, that it was in a place between our plane of existence and hers, whatever that means. She told me that I had crossed a line that no ordinary human could have crossed on their own." 

The two doctors looked at each other. 

"Daniel, the PET scan shows a substantial increase in synaptic activity in certain areas of your brain," Janet told him. "We had no explanation for it, but now I think that, in the forest, you tapped into something in your brain that was previously unused, something that gave you the ability to do what you did. What that something is I don't know. How do you feel now? Do you feel any different from what you did before?" 

"No, I don't think so. I feel normal." 

"I guess we'll just have to see if something manifests itself." 

"So, can I get out of here now? And don't say you want to keep me for observation. I don't need observing." 

Janet smiled. "Okay, how about if you just stay the rest of the night? It'll be dawn in a few hours." 

Although Daniel would have preferred sleeping in his bed with Sam, he agreed, but only on condition that the IV and catheter be removed. Once that had been done and the doctors had wished him a good night, Daniel rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. But sleep did not come. He thought back to that moment in the forest when he somehow found a deeper wellspring of power. His instincts were telling him that there was something more to it, that something else had happened. 

"You have taken a step down a path that only you have the power to walk upon." What did Oma's words mean? She had said that he'd crossed a line. What line? Daniel sensed that this was very important. He had that nagging feeling again, the feeling that there was something he should know. It was like times in the past when he had a feeling that there was something he'd forgotten, but he couldn't recall what it was. This time, though, Daniel sensed that this was something far more important than having forgotten to pay a bill or to set the VCR to tape something. 

Trying not to let it bother him, Daniel strove to relax. After a long while, sleep finally came. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The sun had not been up long when Daniel's teammates made an appearance. 

"So, how are you feeling this morning?" Jack asked. 

"Like I have no reason to be here," the archeologist replied. "They promised I could leave this morning." 

Sam took his hand. "That's great news, Daniel." 

Daniel looked at the two men. "I didn't ask this last night. What are you guys doing here?" 

"We wished to be at your side during your illness," Teal'c replied simply. 

"There was no way that we were just going to sit on our asses, waiting for news about you," Jack added. 

Daniel was touched by their actions. "Thanks, guys." 

"I'm afraid we're going to have to get back, though, or at least I will. I can't leave Reynolds in charge for too long. He might decide he likes it too much." 

"I, too, must return," Teal'c stated. "Doctor Lee has requested my aid in his creation of the virtual reality training tool that has been adapted from the chairs acquired from P7J-989." 

Sam nodded. "I know about that project. They've been at it for a couple of years now. They thought it would be a great way to train SGC personnel. Pretty much any scenario could be programmed in, and, to someone in a chair, it would seem real." 

"Considering what happened to the four of us in those damn chairs, I really don't see the wisdom in having anything to do with them," Jack stated. 

"This would be completely different, sir," Sam told him. "For one thing, the 'player' would know that it's a simulation. And he wouldn't be trapped in it like the Keeper trapped us." 

"So, what does Bill need you for, Teal'c?" Daniel asked. 

"I volunteered my services in testing a simulation that was created. He had believed that he would be ready for my help today." 

"Well, I'm sure another day or two isn't going to matter," Jack said. "I'm thinking that, while we're here, we might as well take a bit of a tour before heading back to our own little corner of the galaxy." 

Daniel sensed the approach of Elizabeth Weir. He had come to recognize the unique 'feel' of her presence. 

The woman came into the room, smiling when she saw Daniel awake and sitting up in bed. 

"Daniel. It's good to see you looking well. Carson told me that you regained consciousness during the night. He said that you appear to be perfectly fine, not a thing wrong with you." Her smile widened. "He also said that you were eager to get out of here." 

"That I am. I'm just waiting for the doctors to give the word and for someone to bring me some clothes." 

Janet came walking in. "Then I guess you'll be happy to know that I'm here to give that word." She laid the clothes she'd been carrying on the bed. "There you go. Your boots are in the cabinet with your other things. The clothes you were wearing were pretty much a lost cause, so they were thrown away. They did save you from getting even more burns, though." 

"Um, yeah, speaking of the burns. . . ." Daniel pulled off a bandage on his arm, revealing undamaged skin. 

"When did you do that?" the doctor asked, studying the skin. 

"I didn't, not on purpose. It healed by itself." 

"Not by itself, Daniel," Janet corrected. "A burn like that would take several weeks to completely heal on its own. Your ability to heal yourself must have been working subconsciously." 

"I guess so. It's not the first time. Speaking of burns, how are the kids? Jack said that none of their burns were bad." 

"When did I tell you that?" Jack asked. The only time he remembered saying that was-- 

"When I was unconscious," Daniel replied, unknowingly finishing Jack's thought. 

"You heard everything we said while you were unconscious?" Sam asked, surprised. Despite what Doctor Beckett had said, she'd had her doubts that Daniel could really hear them. 

"No, not everything. I didn't become aware of people talking until last night. Jack was alone with me. He said that you'd finally gone to bed and that Teal'c was performing Kel'no'reem." Daniel met each of their eyes. "I saw all of you." His gaze went to Jack. "I saw you talking to me." He turned to Teal'c. "I saw you sitting on the floor with candles around you." His eyes went to Sam, and he took her hand. "I saw you in our bed, crying." 

The revelation brought silence to the room for a long moment. 

"So . . . you heard everything I said?" Jack asked, looking slightly uncomfortable. 

Daniel looked straight into his eyes. "Yes." He gave his friend a small smile, one that told Jack that the things he'd said would never go beyond them. 

"To answer your question about the children," Janet said, "they'll be okay." 

Just then, Doctor Beckett came in. "Indeed they will. The poor little tykes went through quite an ordeal, and it will take some time for the burns to heal, but I don't think there will be any scarring. None of the burns were third-degree, though some were nasty enough to blister pretty badly. They owe their lives to you and Teyla. Their parents are very grateful. I'm sure that they would love to speak with you." 

"I can stop by and say hi after I get out of here," Daniel responded. 

Everyone except Sam left the room so that he could change. Janet told Carson about Daniel's healed burns, figuring that he should know. She recounted the previous time that they believed his healing abilities worked subconsciously. 

Beckett shook his head. "It really is amazing. I should imagine this has made your job a wee bit easier." 

"Yes and no. While Daniel's healing abilities mean that I don't have to worry so much about him getting physical injuries, the use of his paranormal abilities adds a whole new set of worries, like what just happened." 

"Yes, I'm sure it does." Carson smiled. "So, how much longer will be we blessed with your lovely presence, Janet?" 

She returned the smile. "I would love to stay for another day or two, Carson. The medical technology you have here is amazing, and I'd like to hear more about the genetic research you're doing on the Wraith." Her expression turned regretful. "But I need to get back to my infirmary." 

"Well, perhaps the next time you have some leave coming, you can get permission to come visit us." 

Janet's smile brightened. "I'd love that." 

Watching the two doctors, Jack frowned severely. For having been in each other's company for less than two days, they were awfully chummy. He didn't like the way that Beckett was smiling at Janet. There was nothing actually wrong with the smile. He just didn't like it. And that Scottish brogue was so . . . lilting. Some women might find it attractive. Did Janet find it attractive? She was sure smiling a lot. 

Unbeknownst to Jack, Daniel and Sam had come out of the room. The couple noticed the unhappy frown on his face. They followed his gaze to Janet and Doctor Beckett, who were still chatting amiably. The lovers exchanged a glance, figuring out why Jack looked so put out. 

Pretending like they hadn't noticed anything, Sam and Daniel joined the others. Elizabeth, who had been talking with Teal'c, offered to give Jack and the Jaffa a tour of the city, and Janet decided to join them. Like Jack and Teal'c, she'd spent virtually no time outside the infirmary since arriving, so she'd seen very little of Atlantis. 

Sam, figuring that she'd lost enough time from the power generator project, headed off to find McKay. 

Doctor Beckett took Daniel to the room where the two children were. It turned out that they were brothers. Teyla was in the room with the kids' parents. She smiled and stood when Daniel came in. 

"Daniel. We were told that you awoke during the night. All of the Athosians are happy that you are well." 

"Thanks, Teyla." 

The woman turned to the boys, who were sharing a bed. "Tomar, Jas, this is Daniel Jackson, the man who came into the fire to save you." 

"Mother said that you mastered the fire, commanded it to move away," Tomar, the older boy, said. He appeared to be around ten. 

"No, I didn't master it. All I did, all I _could_ do, was push the fire back enough to get you and your brother out." 

"Are you an Ancient?" the other boy, who was around six, asked, wide-eyed. 

Daniel smiled. "No, I'm not an Ancient. I'm human. I just have some special abilities that make it possible for me to do things like what I did in the fire." 

He studied the boys. Tomar had bandages on his neck and both arms and hands, plus a small one on his forehead. There was a large bandage on Jas' right cheek and others on his right arm and shoulder. His ankle was wrapped, possibly because of a sprain. Though Doctor Beckett had said that they'd heal, it still bothered Daniel to see the injuries. He wished that he'd sensed the fire sooner, soon enough to reach the children before they got hurt. 

"Words cannot express how grateful we are to you for the lives of our children," said the father of the boys. 

"We owe you so much," his wife said, a small hint of tears in her eyes. 

Daniel shook his head. "You don't owe me a thing." 

The man's expression changed to regret. "There is something you must know." He turned to Tomar. "It is your responsibility to tell him." 

The boy's gaze fell to the bedcovers. "The fire was our fault," he mumbled. "Kas and I were going to explore a cave. We had a lantern with us. We started to play, and the lantern got knocked over and broke." The boy's eyes lifted to Daniel's. "We tried to put the fire out, but we could not." 

Daniel gazed at the boy gently. "Is that how your hands got burned?" 

Tomar nodded. "We ran, but Kas fell and hurt his ankle. I tried to carry him, but he was too heavy. I knew there was a stream, and I thought we could hide there." The boy's eyes returned to his lap. 

"It was an accident, Tomar," Daniel said softly. "Yes, you should have been more careful, but you acted very bravely in the things you did. You protected your brother. And you did a smart thing by going to the stream. That saved your lives." 

Tomar shook his head, looking again at Daniel. "We would have died if you and Teyla did not come." 

"But we _did_ come, so everything turned out all right." Daniel's eyes passed over the kids again. "Doctor Beckett, could you remove the bandages?" 

Startled, Carson just stared at him. "Daniel, you don't have to do that. I am aware that it puts a strain on you. After what happened to you--" 

"I'll be fine." 

"What are you speaking of?" the mother of the children asked. 

Teyla smiled. "He is going to heal them." 

Beckett removed the bandages from Tomar first since he was the one who was more badly burned. Some of the burns were pretty ugly, badly inflamed and blistered. The boy's hands were the worst. 

Daniel stepped toward him. "Close your eyes, Tomar. It won't hurt." 

Uncertain, the boy nevertheless closed his eyes, laying his head back against the pillows. Daniel laid his hand upon Tomar's body, just below the ribs. Dipping his head, he closed his eyes. 

Though Beckett and Teyla had both witnessed the use of Daniel's abilities before, they stared, enthralled, as, gradually, the blistered skin smoothed, the redness fading. One by one, each burn disappeared, replaced by healthy skin. Soon, there was nothing left of the injuries. 

Stepping back from the child, Daniel glanced at the parents. Their eyes, which were upon their son, were filled with awe. Seeing that Daniel was looking at them, they bowed their heads deeply. 

"You have the power of the great ones," the man said in a hushed, reverent voice. 

Daniel wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he turned to Kas instead. Doctor Beckett removed the bandages from the six-year-old, and Daniel set about healing him, being sure to heal not only the burns but also the injured ankle. 

"Mama, it does not hurt anymore," Kas said, smiling, after Daniel was finished. 

With a joyful smile of her own, she lifted him out of the bed and onto her lap, hugging him tightly. 

Carson placed a hand upon Daniel's arm. "Are you all right?" 

"Yeah, I'm okay." 

"Thank you," the mother of the boys said. "Our thanks to you forever." 

Daniel smiled and nodded. He gave the family his goodbyes, then left with Teyla and Carson. 

"Daniel, that was a wonderful thing you did," the doctor said. 

"I just hated to see those kids hurting. If I'd sensed the fire sooner, we could probably have saved them from a lot of those burns." 

"Do not belittle what you accomplished, Daniel," Teyla chastised. "If you had not been there, there would have been no hope for those children. To look at the past and think only of what _could_ have been done means that we fail to see what we _did_ do." 

Daniel smiled, nodding. "You're right." 

"Well, now that I have two less patients, I have some other work to get back to," Beckett said. 

Daniel and Teyla left the infirmary. 

"I would like to give my thanks to you as well," the Athosian woman said, "for myself and the rest of my people. You are a good man, Daniel, one I am honored to know." 


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Daniel and Teyla parted, and the archeologist went in search of Jack, Teal'c and Janet. As he walked through the city, he noticed a lot of people staring at him. Up until now, most of the people here didn't know about his abilities. They probably all knew now, hence the stares. Daniel liked it better when they didn't know.

Receiving directions from a man who couldn't stop staring at him, Daniel found his friends. They were in the jumper bay.

"Hey, Daniel," Jack greeted. "I was just about to ask Doctor Weir if I could take one of these babies for a ride. She said that I have the right stuff to fly them."

"Just don't go for a trip back in time, Jack," Daniel responded.

Everyone stared at him, perplexed.

"Back in time?" Jack inquired curiously.

Daniel blinked, puzzled. "I . . . have absolutely no idea why I said that."

"Daniel, do you know something about the puddle jumpers that we don't?" Elizabeth asked. "I don't know how we could have missed something like that, but I suppose it's possible."

"No. I doubt I know as much about them as you do. All I did was start one up accidentally."

"Yet the remark you made would suggest that your abilities have revealed something to you," Teal'c stated.

Daniel stared at the cockpit. He really didn't have a clue why he'd said that. He hadn't had a vision, no flash from his sixth sense.

Not sure if he should be doing this, Daniel approached the ship's controls. He rested his hand on the control console and focused his inner vision, turning it toward the future. He saw a series of images, most likely missions this ship would be going on. Daniel attempted to focus his thoughts on a time travel mission in the jumper, but nothing happened.

On a hunch, he stopped attempting to see the future of the jumper itself, and the vision abruptly changed. His mind's eye filled with a scene that sent a mental gasp through him. It was Egypt, but not the Egypt of today but, rather, of many thousands of years ago. The architectural wonders of the Giza Plateau stood whole and undamaged. Before Daniel could marvel at what he was seeing, the face of Ra reared before him, the Goa'uld's cruel, resonant voice giving a command, an order of the execution of the three people before him. Staff weapons were aimed and. . . .

With an audible gasp, Daniel reeled backwards, hurling himself out of the vision. Shaking, he nearly ran out of the puddle jumper. He leaned against its hull, drawing in several deep breaths, trying to blot out what he'd seen.

Jack grasped his friend's arm. "Hey. You okay?"

"No, not really."

"Daniel, what did you see?" Janet asked, concerned.

"I don't really understand it. I saw Egypt of perhaps five thousand years ago. Ra was there." Daniel looked at Jack and Teal'c. "But you and Sam were there, too."

Jack just stared at him. "In Egypt? Five thousand years ago? I know I'm getting old, but I'm not _that_ old. Not even Teal'c is that old."

"What else did you see, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, ignoring Jack's remark.

Daniel met his eyes, then Jack's. "He executed you, all three of you."

That left everyone stunned.

"If you were looking into the future, how could you see Egypt in the past?" Jack asked. "And what the hell were we doing there?"

"Perhaps Daniel Jackson's earlier comment about time travel is the answer," Teal'c replied.

"You mean that, some day in the future, we're going to travel back in time to 3000 B.C.? Why in the world would we do that? We killed Ra. Going back to pay him a visit would not be my choice of fun vacations."

"Well, whatever the reason, we're not going to do it," Daniel declared firmly. "If we don't go back, Ra can't kill you."

"Right now, I'm wondering how you were going to do it," Elizabeth said. She looked at Daniel. "You saw this vision while touching the puddle jumper. What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure this ship had nothing to do with the trip in time. It was only after I stopped trying to see its future that I had the vision of Egypt."

"Well, I guess all we can do is be wary of time traveling paraphernalia," Jack remarked.

No one felt like resuming the tour. Elizabeth excused herself to get back to her duties, and Janet returned to the infirmary, which didn't make Jack very happy.

"So, when are you guys heading home?" Daniel asked Jack and Teal'c.

"Around noon," the General replied. "So . . . Weir told us about your little chat with the Wraith."

"Don't say it, Jack. Yes, I know it was dangerous, but I thought I could get some valuable information, which I did."

"Along with some nice claw marks."

"Which are now completely healed."

"Which could have been in your throat."

Daniel let out a sigh. "Come on. Let's go find Sam and rescue her from McKay."

"Are you sure you want to do that? Maybe he'll push her too far, and she'll strangle the little twerp. I think even the military courts would rule it justifiable homicide."

--------------------------------------------------

Sam made a growling sound under her breath. She was beginning to wish that she'd stayed with Daniel or gone on the tour with the others. Since arriving at McKay's lab, the Canadian had been impossible. During the time that she'd been with Daniel in the infirmary, he had continued to work on the power generator project and had arrived at a few conclusions that Sam didn't agree with. Of course, McKay was certain that he was right and she was wrong.

"Look," she said, trying again. "If you do that, you're not going to get a steady outflow of power. There could be spikes."

McKay shook his head. "I've been working on this longer than you have, and I know what I'm doing. You're still playing catch-up."

Sam glared at the device instead of McKay for fear that she'd turn him to stone with her gaze.

McKay continued. "There won't be any power spikes if we. . . . Yes, maybe we should double-check my figures."

Surprised at the sudden about-face, Sam looked at the Canadian. He was staring over his shoulder at something. Sam turned to see Daniel, Jack and Teal'c standing in the doorway. Daniel's arms were crossed, and he was staring right at McKay. Jack had a smug expression, apparently having witnessed the transformation when the scientist caught sight of them, or, rather, caught sight of Daniel. Teal'c looked amused.

"There seems to be a problem here," Daniel said in a cool, calm voice.

"No," McKay hastily responded, his voice squeaking slightly. "No problem. I was just coming to the conclusion that perhaps Colonel Carter might be right."

"Well, having an open mind is always a good thing."

"Yes. Yes, I've always thought so myself."

Sam was trying really hard not to laugh, but it was a losing battle. Jack recognized this and came to her rescue.

"Come on, Carter. Join us for an early lunch. We never had breakfast."

Not saying anything for fear that, if she opened her mouth, laughter would pour out, Sam left with them. They'd made it perhaps twenty yards when Sam lost it.

"Daniel, you have _got_ to stay with me when I'm working with McKay," she gasped between laughs. "With you around, he'd probably agree with everything I said."

The four friends shared the meal together, then Jack and Teal'c went to their quarters to pack their stuff. Leaving the bags in the embarkation area, Teal'c went off to speak with Teyla, whom he had met for a short while and wanted to speak with some more. Jack headed for one of the balconies. Janet hadn't arrived yet.

Jack had been gazing at the ocean for a couple of minutes when Daniel joined him at the railing.

"I wonder what kind of fish are in there," Jack said.

"You could ask Teyla. The Athosians have been doing some fishing. They're building boats."

"Wouldn't mind going out on one." Jack looked at Daniel. "I see why you and Carter love this place. Pretty impressive. There are so many gadgets here that it's like one great big toy store to Carter, and I can only imagine all the stuff the computers are packed with that you could spend centuries digging into."

"Yes, it is incredible."

Jack turned fully to Daniel, who was facing the ocean. "If the Goa'uld weren't a problem anymore, and both you and Carter could be transferred here, would you do it?"

Daniel thought about it a long while before answering. "I don't know. A big part of me wants to say yes."

"And the other part?"

Daniel looked at him. "That's the part that would miss everyone back home. Jack, if we do ever defeat the Goa'uld, and I'm in the position to make that decision, then that's when I'll make it. Until then, I'm not going to try to figure out what I'll do. I don't know what might happen between now and then. A lot of things could happen to affect my decision."

Jack nodded. "Fair enough." The general turned back to the view of the sea. "Daniel, if that time ever comes and you ask me to let you go . . . I will."

Shocked, Daniel looked at his friend. He had not expected Jack to ever say that. That's when Daniel realized that this was Jack's way of saying that he was willing to sacrifice what he wanted for the sake of what Daniel wanted.

"Thank you," Daniel murmured.

Jack pushed away from the railing. "Come on. Let's go see if Fraiser's arrived yet."

Janet had, indeed arrived, along with Beckett, who was talking with her. The sight soured Jack's mood. Sam was there as well to wish everyone goodbye.

"Try to keep this guy out of any more trouble, Carter," Jack said.

"I'll try, sir, but that might be beyond my abilities to do."

"General, Teal'c, Doctor Fraiser, it's been a pleasure having you here," Elizabeth said, "though I wish your arrival had been under better circumstances."

"This is a pretty little place you've got here," Jack told her. "And you seem to be taking excellent care of it."

The general noticed Major Sheppard coming in. During the tour, he had asked Weir some pointed questions about the major. With Sumner dead, Sheppard was in command of the military presence on Atlantis, and Jack had wanted to know how the guy was doing. Weir had assured him that Sheppard was doing an excellent job. Jack suspected, though, that a lot of people would think a major shouldn't be in charge of something like this. He'd have to put in a good word for Sheppard if that happened.

The wormhole to Earth was established.

"Well, goodbye, everyone," Jack said. "Keep holding down the fort."

"See you in a couple weeks, sir," Sam said.

Janet looked at Daniel. "Try not to make it necessary for me to come back, okay?"

Daniel smiled. "I will."

Jack, Janet and Teal'c picked up their bags and, with a little salute from Jack, disappeared through the gate.

--------------------------------------------------

The next day, Sam and McKay had the breakthrough they needed. They were both so excited that they were actually agreeing with each other. They went to Elizabeth and told her of their success.

"So, you're saying that you can do it?" she questioned, wanting to be clear on what the two excited scientists were saying.

McKay nodded. "Yes! Now, it's not going to have even a fraction of the power of a fully charged ZPM, but it will give us plenty enough to open a wormhole to the Milky Way galaxy a good ten to twelve times before it needs to be refueled."

"The only problem is that it needs parts that we can't manufacture on Earth," Sam explained. "We can get the parts from cannibalizing some machinery here that we figure won't be needed, but I doubt that we'll be able to make more than two or three of them, which means that we'd have to be really careful with them since they can't be replaced."

"But the original generators can be made without limit?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, within reason. Some of the parts are pretty expensive, but everything is available on Earth."

"I figured that we'd keep all of the new generators here in Atlantis," McKay said. "Earth can make more of the old design when they need to. And it's more likely that we'll have to contact Earth than vice versa."

Sam nodded in agreement. "And I intend to work on the old generator design to see if I can improve its power output and stability. I doubt that I'll get much more out of it, but I think I can get it open three intergalactic wormholes without any instability. Between the old generators and the new ones, we shouldn't have trouble being able to maintain contact between Earth and Atlantis, though we won't be calling each other every week."

Elizabeth smiled. "That is wonderful news. Good work."

McKay puffed up a little. "Thank you. I was confident that I'd . . ." he noticed the look Sam was giving him, "um . . . that we'd be able to do it."

While McKay went back to his lab to get started on building the prototype, Sam went in search of Daniel to tell him the good news. She found him sitting at one of the workstations, but he wasn't looking at the screen. Instead, he was gazing off distantly.

"Daniel?" she inquired.

He blinked and turned to her. "Oh. Hi. I didn't feel you. My mind was elsewhere."

"Yes, I could see that. Where was it?"

"I was thinking about what happened while you guys all thought I was in a coma."

Sam sat on another chair. "You didn't say exactly what happened. All you said was that you saw and heard us."

Daniel told her about that place he'd been in and what Oma had said. "I've been to a place a little like that once before, when I was dying from the radiation poisoning. Oma took me there."

"You never told me that."

"I never told anyone. Jack already knew. I saw and heard you, Sam. Teal'c, too. I heard what you said about me changing you, about how we always wait to tell people how we really feel."

Sam touched his hand. "I meant what I said that day, Daniel. You did change me, for the better. I was so ashamed that I never told you how much you meant to me, how deeply I cherished your friendship."

"I'm guilty of that, too, Sam. I'd never told you how much I valued your friendship. It's like you said, we always seem to put off saying things like that, and, too often, they go unspoken until it's too late."

"Did Oma bring you to that place this time, too?"

"No, she said that I did it myself. I just wish I knew how . . . and why. Janet thinks that I tapped into a part of my brain that I'd never used before and that's why the PET scan shows an increase in synaptic activity, which would make sense if it wasn't for that place. The only other explanation I have is that it never really happened."

"But you heard the colonel, and you saw me and Teal'c."

"Well, we already know that I can see things that are happening other places. I've done it plenty of times. When I was in that suspended animation after the stuff at the outpost, I was aware of myself. I was conscious, in a way. Yet, if you went by what the medical monitors showed, you'd swear that I could not have had any conscious thought at all. It could be that, this time, my consciousness was . . . wandering. My ability to see things at a distance enabled me to see and hear you and Teal'c, and Jack was right there at my bedside."

"And Oma?" Sam asked.

"Maybe a dream. I don't know why my subconscious would have her say the things she did, but our dreams have a lot of unexplainable things in them." He sighed. "I don't know. Right now, I'm just trying to come up with an explanation for what happened." Daniel made a face. "To be completely honest, I don't think this is the right one. I mean, it may be partially right, but something feels . . . off about it."

"Well, I hope you figure it out." Sam smiled. "I've got some great news. McKay and I did it. We developed a power generator that should give us at least five times the power as the one you and I built and be a lot more stable."

"Hey, that's great, Sam."

The astrophysicist explained everything to him.

"So, though we will be able to communicate with each other, it's something that we'll want to reserve for when it's important," Daniel said.

"Yeah, although I'm sure that Doctor Weir will agree to allow personnel on leave to visit family on Earth. They should keep some of the other generators here and use them for things like that, save the new generators for more important stuff. Some of the parts that we'll be using can't be replaced if they break."

"So, now that you've got your project all done, will you be going home?"

"Are you kidding? No way! I want to see what else is here, and I'll get to do it without McKay, which will be great. There are other scientists working on projects that I'd like to learn more about." Sam looked at the monitor. "Speaking of projects, did you find anything else of interest?"

"Actually, yes. The Ancients had a couple more things wrong in their research. They believed that, if someone reached ascension, they would not be able to reverse it, that, once their physical body was gone, it was gone for good."

"Well, that does kind of make sense," Sam said. "Generally, once matter is converted to energy, you can't reverse it and convert it back to matter, or at least not in the same form it was in before."

Daniel nodded. "I found something else as well. Orlin told you that once an Ascended Being descended, they wouldn't be able to ascend again without help from the others, right?"

"Yes."

"Which means that, with help, a person could ascend more than once."

"Right."

"The Ancients theorized that if an ascended person could somehow descend, they'd never be able to ascend again. Their bodies couldn't go through the transformation a second time."

"Well, they were researching something that they had no way to test. It's understandable that they'd get some things wrong."

"Yeah." Daniel looked at the screen. "I've skimmed through a lot of stuff, going though it chronologically as much as I could, and I've found that the research suddenly ends. I can only guess that it was around the time that the plague was sweeping through the galaxy, perhaps when it got really bad. Sometime after they stopped researching ascension, some of them managed to do it. They found the key, the thing that had been eluding them. Yet not all of them were able to do it. I have to wonder what some of them had going for them that others didn't. Was it the enlightenment that Oma said was so important? When I was dying, Oma said that I had to release my burden, basically, to let go. And that's what I did. I released all my pain, doubts and grief and chose to ascend, not to escape death, but because I knew it was what I should do. Maybe the Ancients who didn't ascend couldn't let go of everything. They couldn't release their burden."

Sam didn't reply. That day Daniel ascended and left them would always be a painful memory for her, as would many moments during that year he was gone.

She put on a smile. "Come on. Let's go to the commissary for some dessert. I feel like celebrating."

"Celebrating your success in making a generator?"

"Uh uh. Not having to put up with Rodney McKay anymore."

With a laugh, the two friends headed off to do some celebrating.

--------------------------------------------------

Jack sat at his desk, brooding, his mind on something it really shouldn't be on. Some_one_, actually. That someone was Janet. He couldn't get out of his head the way she'd looked while talking with Doctor Beckett, the smile on her face, the lively sparkle in her eyes. She was beautiful.

Dammit! No, she _wasn't_ beautiful. She was Doc, the little Napoleonic power monger who showed little respect for his rank when he was in her domain, especially when he was under her care. Okay, so she was a pretty woman, but he wasn't supposed to be looking at her as a woman. She was his doctor and someone under his command. That's all she could be to him. That's all she _should_ be to him.

This was insane. The woman infuriated him, irritated him, and, on more than one occasion, made him want to scream. Hell, he should be happy about the possibility that she'd fall for Carson Beckett and leave the SGC to be with him on Atlantis. Then maybe the SGC would get a doctor who wouldn't constantly forget that he was a superior officer.

Okay, so maybe that was unfair. Janet didn't actually forget, and she did always call him "sir" or by his rank. She just really took advantage of the fact that she was the only person of a lower rank than him on base who could boss him around. And he really didn't want her to leave. Yes, she could be damned frustrating and aggravating, but she was a really good doctor and a very good person, and he did think of her as a friend . . . sort of . . . on occasion. Her passion and commitment to the people under her care had saved lives many times, including his own.

So, what if she _did_ leave the SGC? Jack knew that she was way overdue for some leave and could take it at any time. She could request to go to Atlantis to study their medical technology, and he really couldn't say no, not if it might be a benefit to the Stargate Program, perhaps resulting in more lives being saved. So, he'd let her go. She'd spend a week or more in Doctor Beckett's company. The Scotsman would win her over with his accent, that smile, his intelligence, and with all the things they have in common, and then. . . .

Dammit all to hell! Why was he thinking about this? It shouldn't be bothering him so much. Yes, she was very attractive, and, yes, he had sort of been feelings things about her for a while now. That kiss under the mistletoe had been really nice. But it wasn't like he was in love with the woman or anything. No way could he fall for the doc. It was just a mild attraction, that's all, despite what Daniel might think.

Certain he was right, Jack turned his attention back to the pile of paperwork on his desk, ignoring the face that kept popping into his mind.

--------------------------------------------------

By Monday morning, the prototype for the new generator had been built and tested. It appeared to work perfectly, though they hadn't tested it by opening a wormhole to Earth. McKay was quite proud of himself and had a self-satisfied smile on his face when the test was successful. He appeared to have forgotten that he didn't design and build the thing all by himself and that the original generator this one was based upon hadn't been created by him at all. Elizabeth, however, had _not_ forgotten.

"Good work, everyone," she said. "Doctor Jackson, Colonel Carter, I can't thank you enough for making this possible. If it wasn't for you, we may never have been able to establish contact between Atlantis and Earth. Everyone here owes you a big debt." She smiled. "I've already had several people requesting that they be allowed to go home during their leave. Something tells me that we're going to be keeping you busy making more of those . . . what did you call them? LN1 generators?"

Sam nodded. "LN is short for liquid Naquadah. The new generator that Doctor McKay and I designed will be called LN2 generators. We'll also have to make sure that you are well supplied with the liquid Naquadah. Fortunately, thanks to Daniel, we have a very good relationship with the rebel Jaffa, so there shouldn't be a problem with keeping well-stocked."

"Oh, yeah? What's the story about that?" Major Sheppard asked.

"Oh, that's a long story," Daniel replied, really not wanting to get into it.

"The rebel Jaffa just about worship Doctor Jackson because of his psychic abilities," Lieutenant Aiden Ford said. "A lot of Jaffa rebelled against the Goa'uld just because of him, and those that aren't in the rebellion are deathly afraid of him." The young man grinned. "He's sent a lot of them running for their lives more than once. He even beat a Jaffa in hand-to-hand combat to the death."

That last sentence really piqued Sheppard's interest. "Really? Aren't Jaffa several times stronger than the average human?"

"I cheated," Daniel said simply, wishing that the subject would be dropped. He didn't get his wish.

"How did you cheat?" Teyla asked, intrigued.

Daniel let out a silent sigh. "I used my precognitive abilities to predict what he was going to do a split second before he did it, and I augmented my physical strength with my telekinetic abilities. It was the only way to keep from getting killed."

"So, you killed him instead?"

"No. I had no desire to kill him. He thought that what he was doing was right, that I couldn't be trusted."

"Daniel spared his life, and Har'tec is now one of our strongest supporters," Sam explained.

"Wow. That's so cool," Sheppard said. "I'd love to see a demonstration."

"Uh, no," Daniel quickly responded.

"Aw, come on. I can think of a few marines I'd love to see get their butts kicked, especially by a civilian. My number one choice would be Sergeant Bates."

Teyla's expression darkened, telling Daniel that there was a story here.

"Sorry," he said. "Using my abilities in that way is dangerous. I have to be very careful because I could easily kill someone. That would be especially true with a human being."

Sheppard looked very disappointed. "Darn." He smiled. "Hey, maybe while you're here, he'll tick you off, too. Then you'll be happy to kick his ass."

"While I admit that Sergeant Bates is a little short on both charm and tact and does still owe Teyla an apology, I don't think you should be asking Doctor Jackson to beat him up, Major Sheppard," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, he doesn't have to beat him up. I was just thinking along the lines of utter humiliation."

"John, I know that you are angered by his actions against me," Teyla said, "and I appreciate your desire to seek retribution, but the issue with Sergeant Bates and myself is a matter between us."

"What's this all about?" Sam asked.

"Something occurred not long ago that seemed to indicate there was a traitor in our midst," Teyla replied, "one who was passing on information to the Wraith. Suspicion fell upon my people. Sergeant Bates accused me of being the traitor."

"He made me go through her personal things, looking for proof that he was right," McKay said, his expression telling everyone how unhappy he'd been about that.

Sheppard frowned. "I'd have clocked him one for that if it wasn't for the fact that McKay actually did find something."

"It turned out that a locket my father gave to me as a child was actually a transmitter," Teyla said. "It was activated by Major Sheppard when he touched it because he has the Ancient gene. Its purpose was to reveal the location of Ancients to the Wraith, which was why it always seemed that, wherever we went, Wraith came and attacked us."

"The one good thing that came out of all this was that we used the locket to lure some Wrath into a trap and managed to capture that one we have in the cell." Sheppard paused. "But I'd still like to see Bates get some comeuppance. He made Rodney do that search without mine or Elizabeth's permission. And he's a jerk, too." He didn't add that the man had also shown disrespect toward Sheppard's position as military leader of Atlantis. That was of secondary importance. The man's disrespect toward the Athosians in general and Teyla in particular was what really irked him.

Daniel and Sam both returned to their work. Though Daniel now knew that what he was learning from the Ancients' research was not going to give them the key to ascension, he hoped that it might still allow him to understand more about the Ancients themselves, particularly the reason for their policy of not interfering in the lives of unascended beings. There were some clues here and there, the belief by some that the power that came with ascension must, above all, not be abused, that it would be wrong to use it to meddle in the lives of others or to change things to the way it was believed they should be. There were others, however, who believed that being ascended would make them a superior species and would, therefore, give them the right to use their power however they thought it should be. That attitude was close enough to the mentality of the Goa'uld to make Daniel uneasy. What if some people of that mind set did manage to ascend?

It was later that afternoon that Daniel began to get a bad feeling. He knew this feeling. Something was wrong or would soon be. His instincts were telling him that, whatever it was, it had to do with someone close to him. He went in search of Sam and found her with Doctor Zelenka, a scientist from the Czech Republic.

"Hey," he said. "Sam, can I talk with you?"

"Sure."

She left the lab with him and walked over to a more private spot.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know, but something is."

"You think it's something here?"

"I don't think so. I feel like we need to call home."

"Okay. Let's go talk to Doctor Weir."

They went to Elizabeth's office, where Daniel explained his feeling.

"And you believe it's regarding something that's happening on Earth?" she asked.

"Yes," Daniel replied. "Don't ask me how I know that. I gave up trying to understand how this ability works a long time ago."

Elizabeth nodded. "All right. I've already seen plenty of evidence that these abilities of yours should not be ignored. We'll dial Earth."

At that moment, the gate began to dial. Elizabeth stood.

"We have no teams in the field," she said.

The three of them went downstairs. The wormhole connected, and Elizabeth ordered the force field to be raised.

"Doctor Weir, it's the SGC," the technician manning the controls said.

"Put it on the speaker."

"Doctor Weir, it's General O'Neill," said a familiar voice. "I need to talk to Daniel and Colonel Carter. It's urgent."

"We're here, Jack," Daniel said. "What's wrong? I already had a feeling that something was up."

"It's Teal'c, Daniel. He's in trouble. I don't know exactly what's going on, but he's gotten himself stuck in that damn virtual reality thing."

"Stuck, sir?" Sam inquired.

"Yeah. The game won't let him stop playing. Fraiser's getting really worried, because he keeps dying in the game over and over again, and, every time he does, the chair gives him a nasty jolt. She said something about him running out of adrenalin."

"Can't you remove him from the chair physically?" Daniel asked.

"No. Lee and the doc say that could cause brain damage."

Daniel exchanged a look with Sam. "We'll be there within the hour, Jack," he said. "I don't know if there's anything we can do to help, but we want to be there."

"All right. We'll be waiting for you."

Daniel and Sam immediately went to their quarters and packed. Twenty minutes later, they were standing before the gate.

"I hope that Teal'c will be all right," Elizabeth said. "I also hope that you'll both be able to come back and visit us again. I'm afraid that this visit got cut short."

"It doesn't really surprise me," Daniel responded. "Things seldom go according to plan in our lives. Thank you for having us. It's been quite a visit, even if it was shorter than expected."

"Thank _you_ for coming, Doctor Jackson. You as well, colonel. You have both been a tremendous help."

As Daniel shook Major Sheppard's hand and wished him and Teyla goodbye, Sam turned to McKay.

"Colonel Carter," he said, "it's been . . . interesting working with you again."

"That's one word for it," she responded. "Take care of yourself, McKay."

"Yeah, you too."

Elizabeth ordered Earth's address to be dialed. As the wormhole was established, Daniel and Sam picked up their bags. With one last goodbye to the people of Atlantis, they stepped through the gate.


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Shortly after arriving back at the SGC, Daniel and Sam were given the whole story. After testing the original virtual reality scenario that had been created, Teal'c claimed that it was not accurate, that Anubis' drone had been too easy to beat. Because of that, Doctor Lee made some modifications. Now, it appeared that, no matter what Teal'c did to gain victory in the simulation, the computer kept changing things to make the "game" even harder. It even made the supersoldiers impervious to the weapons developed from the Telchak device. Fortunately, it also gave Teal'c a way to counteract that in the form of a prototype for a frequency modulator chip created for the weapons.

Teal'c had already died in the game several times. Each time that happened, the game reset, and everything started all over again. What made the situation even worse was that, every time Teal'c died in the game, he received a jolt from the chair. It was causing spikes in his adrenaline production, which, in turn, was causing his blood pressure and heart rate to rise dangerously. If things kept going like this, Teal'c would either suffer a heart attack or eventually run out of adrenaline. His heart would then slow, his blood pressure would drop, and his entire organ system would fail. When he heard that, Daniel couldn't help but think of língchí, the ancient Chinese method of torture and execution often called "death by a thousand cuts".

Daniel and Sam watched a monitor that showed the simulation Teal'c was trapped within. It looked very much like a video game. Also in the lab were Bill Lee and Janet. The doctor was closely monitoring Teal'c's physical condition.

"You said there's a failsafe?" Daniel asked Bill.

The scientist nodded. "All he has to do is take the elevator up to the surface."

"But to do that, he'd have to be willing to quit, and we all know that Teal'c doesn't quit."

"Teal'c knows that this isn't real," Sam said. "I have to think that, sooner or later, he'll realize that he has no other choice."

Bill turned back to the bank of monitors displaying the information about the simulation, the chair, and Teal'c. "He's at level 28. He's already got the modulator chip, and he's used it to kill the first two supersoldiers. He's hunting for the third." The scientist looked at the bio readings. "Man, he's not in good shape."

Sam and Daniel watched on the monitor as Teal'c was attacked by a drone, the supersoldier brutally beating him. The Jaffa's physical body reacted to each blow with a jerk.

The sight of Teal'c being brutalized angered and upset Daniel. "This is ridiculous. It's torturing him."

"Why won't he quit?" Bill asked in frustration.

"Wait a minute. He's headed for the elevator."

"He's going to use the failsafe," Sam said in relief.

They watched the virtual representation of Teal'c flee from the supersoldier and make it to the elevator just in time. It took him up to Level 1. But when Teal'c stepped out of the elevator, he was not on the surface. He was still in the bowels of the mountain, and the game had restarted.

"It didn't work," Sam said. "He's back in the game." She and Daniel looked over at Bill and Janet.

"Why didn't it work?" the doctor asked.

Daniel thought about it. "Teal'c wanted this simulation to be as real as possible, right?"

"Yes," Bill answered.

"Well, in a real situation, Teal'c would never give up, no matter what. Could that affect the game somehow?"

"Yes, it probably would," Sam replied. "If the game evaluated his character and came to that conclusion, in order for it to maintain the level of realism it's been programmed to, it would reject any attempt Teal'c made to quit, no matter how much Teal'c may really want to."

"Then that means it won't let him quit," Bill said.

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Jack was not happy when they told him about the latest problem.

"You know, I always thought a failsafe system was supposed to be somewhat safe . . . from failure!" he said angrily.

Bill lifted his hands and shrugged helplessly.

Sam told Jack what their theory was. He agreed that Teal'c wouldn't give up.

"It's also just a game," he then said.

"The game doesn't know that," Sam explained.

"So, how do we get him out?"

"Removing the connections while the system is operating could be fatal," Janet said. "At the very least, it could cause significant brain damage. But then, the physical stress that the chair is putting him under is going to eventually kill him anyway. We may have no choice but to take the chance."

Jack turned to Daniel. "Couldn't you do something? I mean, you brought Carter back to life. Couldn't you fix any damage that would be done to Teal'c if we removed him from the chair?"

"I don't know, Jack. I'd hate to gamble with Teal'c's life like that."

"The truth is that we don't know what disconnecting him from that chair during a simulation would do to Teal'c's mind," Bill said. "It's possible that his consciousness would stay within the chair's matrix."

"You mean like when that alien entity transferred Sam's consciousness into the base's computer system?" Daniel asked.

"Not exactly, but, yeah, sort of like that."

"So, right now, the only way out is for Teal'c to win the game," Sam said with a note of resignation.

"Can he?" Jack asked.

"It seems to be getting harder and harder. Every time it appears he's won, the game adds a new twist."

"So it's not going to let him win."

"No, the chair doesn't have an ego. It's not trying to beat Teal'c, just provide a challenge that's worthy of his abilities."

"Ironically, it's Teal'c's ego that created this problem in the first place," Daniel remarked. "Not that his self image isn't entirely accurate."

"If this keeps up, I will to have to begin giving him adrenalin to sustain his heart rate," Janet said. "The problem is that I can't keep him going like that for long."

"There has to be a way for him to win," Sam said.

As the game continued, Janet made a call to the infirmary. A short while later, she was hooking Teal'c up to an IV. They soon saw an improvement in the Jaffa's vital signs. Unfortunately, not long after that, Teal'c again lost in the game and received another shock as his virtual self died. Daniel grimaced at the sight of Teal'c being shot by a drone that had been cloaked and suddenly appeared before him.

The game restarted yet again. Everyone watched as Teal'c successfully overcame one challenge after another. This time, instead of someone setting the base's autodestruct, as had happened before, a Naquadah generator was rigged on a feedback loop, and there wasn't enough time to stop it. Sam and Teal'c decided to get rid of the generator through the gate before it exploded.

In the gate room, Sam ordered Sergeant Harriman to dial the address of a lifeless planet. The gate began to spin. But, as Chevron Four was encoded, the sergeant was zatted from behind. Jack came into view, holding a zat gun.

"Sir, what are you doing?!" the virtual Sam asked.

She and the people watching the game got the answer when Jack's eyes glowed. An instant later, the Naquadah generator exploded.

"Oh, now that is just plain wrong!" Jack complained. "It made me a Goa'uld!"

"That's never happened before," Sam said.

"Obviously, the game decided it needed to add yet another twist," Daniel surmised.

"Well, let me state for the record that I really don't like what it came up with," Jack groused.

Daniel frowned. "Hey, I've got a question. Where am I? I haven't been in any of the simulations I've watched."

"Um . . . yeah. You wouldn't be," Bill responded.

"Why?"

"Because Teal'c said it would make winning too easy."

Sam nodded. "He was right about that. If this scenario was real, and Daniel was there, what would happen?"

"He'd kick some supersoldier ass," Jack answered.

Sam nodded. "Exactly. With Daniel there, they'd be able to deal with the drones a lot more quickly and would probably manage to take care of the other problems as well. In order for this to be a real challenge, Daniel had to be out of the picture."

"Teal'c had me include in the programming that Daniel was out of the country on leave," Bill told them.

"Can you change that? Put Daniel back in?" Jack asked. "Then he can give Teal'c a hand, and this whole thing will end."

Lee shook his head. "Not while a simulation is running."

Sam got to her feet. "I can't just sit here. I have to figure out a way to help Teal'c."

The others watched her leave, hoping that she would think of something.

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Daniel entered the lab Sam had gone to. She was sitting before a computer, staring at something on the screen. Nearby was another virtual reality chair, this one unoccupied.

The archeologist walked up to her.

"How's he doing?" she asked.

"Not well. His physical exhaustion is translating into the game. It's like he's having trouble even playing anymore. It still won't let him go." It had been really hard watching the representation of Teal'c sitting on the floor in utter exhaustion as game after game played around him, each one ending with the base being blown up.

"I spoke to one of the scientists on P7J-989. He says there's nothing they can do under the circumstances."

Daniel nodded slightly. "What are you doing?"

"They had a neural imprint of Teal'c's mind on file from when we were trapped in the chairs six years ago."

"Creepy."

"Yeah, I try not to think about it. Anyway, I'm running a simulation on this chair using the same parameters that Teal'c's dealing with now."

"And?"

"Well, the imprint is nowhere near the same as a live, active mind. Plus, a lot has changed in the last six years."

"Yeah, but not the essence of Teal'c's character."

"See, that's what worries me. I hope it has. Now, I have run hundreds of simulations. No matter what Teal'c does, the programming adapts. Every time it looks like he's won, the chair makes it harder. It's almost like the game is reading Teal'c's mind and somehow seeing this one game as a microcosm for our war against the Goa'uld."

"Well, that's how Teal'c probably treats every battle we fight with them," Daniel said.

"Well, according to these results, six years ago, despite what Teal'c led us to believe, deep down, he didn't really think the Goa'uld could ever be defeated."

"Well, he doesn't think that now. He can't, not after everything we've accomplished."

"You're right. He doesn't." Sam looked up at Daniel. "When you were missing on Tegalus, Teal'c told me that he believed you were alive. He said he thought that you were destined to strike the final blow against the Goa'uld. If he didn't believe that they could be defeated, he wouldn't have said that. I don't know how he felt before you gained your abilities, but I'm pretty certain that Teal'c now thinks we can beat the Goa'uld. If that wasn't the case, no matter how long or how hard Teal'c played the game, he wouldn't win." She shook her head. "Ultimately, it may not matter either way. Teal'c isn't going to be able to play much longer before it kills him. He may not have the time it will take to find a way to beat the game."

Daniel sat down. "To be honest, my abilities aren't being all that useful now. I could probably fry the circuits of that chair, but I don't want to think about what that would do to Teal'c."

"Daniel, is there some way that you could contact Teal'c the way that you got through to me when Anubis was possessing me?"

"Maybe, but what good would it do? Teal'c needs more than a pep talk."

Sam sighed. "Yes, you're right." She looked at the screen. "This isn't helping. Come on. Let's get back to Teal'c."

They returned to the lab where Teal'c was.

"Anything?" Jack asked.

"No, sir. I'm afraid not," Sam replied. She walked over to one of the computer stations as Daniel went to the game monitor.

Janet checked Teal'c's pupils, a worried frown on her face. She went over to the bank of monitors, studying the data on Teal'c's physical condition.

"We're running out of time," she said. "A decision is going to have to be made pretty soon about forcibly removing him from that chair."

"You know, it's too bad we can't hook up a joystick to this thing," Jack remarked, "give him a little help, a little backup maybe."

Bill Lee's expression turned thoughtful. "Actually . . . we could link up another chair and send someone else into the same simulation." He shook his head, making a sound of rejection. "That wouldn't make any difference. The . . . the processors would network, and the second person would just fall victim to the same altered elements in the simulation that have already trapped Teal'c."

Sam thought of something. "Unless the new player had an advantage." She turned to Jack. "Sir, you may have done it again."

"Yes." Jack paused. "How did I do it this time?"

"These graphics are being generated by a data recorder that's tracking the game. It's actually interfaced into the system between the chair's processor and Teal'c. The chair decides what's going to happen, Teal'c responds. Those responses are then incorporated, processed, and we see the results. It's a continuous loop of ever-changing data."

"Oh." There was another pause from Jack. "Still waiting on my good idea."

"The recorder causes a two-second delay between the programming in the chair and the experience in Teal'c's mind. He won't know the difference, but we could use it to our advantage."

Bill understood what she was getting at. "If . . . if we hook up the second chair to the first, without using the recorder in the loop. . . ."

"The new player would know what was about to happen in the game two seconds before it occurred," Sam finished.

"Like precognition," Daniel said, knowing that experience very well.

"Exactly. It's not much, but it might give us enough of an edge to help both players win."

"That's assuming the chair's programming won't become aware of it and adapt," Bill said.

Janet frowned. "Which would mean that the second player might be trapped along with Teal'c."

"I'll do it," Daniel, Sam and Jack all said at the same time. They looked at each other.

"Okay, before we get into an argument here, I'm going to say that I am the most logical choice," Daniel stated.

"You're probably right," Sam admitted. "You have experience in dealing with precognition, so it wouldn't take you as long to get used to it."

"What about the fact that Daniel was written out of the game?" Jack asked.

"The game would probably adapt to his presence, create a scenario that explains why he's there," Bill replied. "But there could be a problem. The game may know about Daniel's paranormal abilities. If it does, once he enters the simulation, it may alter the scenario to, um . . . neutralize the advantage he'd give Teal'c."

"Whoa. What do you mean by neutralize?"

"The most logical response would be to target him and try to kill him off as soon as possible."

Jack didn't like what he was hearing. "So, you're saying that he'd have a big red bull's eye painted on him."

"Basically."

"And if he gets killed too many times, he'd be in the same situation as Teal'c," Janet said.

"But we don't know for sure if the game knows about my abilities," Daniel pointed out.

"Even if it doesn't now, the second you use them in the game, it will find out about them," Jack responded.

"Then I won't use them." Everyone stared at him. "What? You know, I didn't always have these abilities. It might be hard not to use them instinctively if there's a threat, but I think I can do it."

"Actually, if the game doesn't know about your abilities, you wouldn't be able to use them anyway," Bill stated.

"He's right," Sam said. "None of what goes on in the game is in the real, physical world. Daniel's telekinetic and pyrokinetic abilities affect physical matter. He couldn't use them on objects and people that exist in a virtual world. The only way that Daniel could use his abilities would be if the game wrote them into the scenario."

"So, what you're saying is that, if I can't use my abilities once I get in the game, it means that the game doesn't know I have them," Daniel said.

"Yes."

"Then I guess that will be a good way to find out where we stand."

"I'm not so sure about this," Jack said. "I think, to be on the safe side, I should go in."

"Sir, I don't think that would be a good idea," Sam responded. "The game is intuitive. It learns from the players. Bringing you into the game would mean that it would start learning from you as well, specifically, your knowledge of tactics, and it's already too hard for Teal'c to beat. On the other hand, Daniel's greatest knowledge--his skills with languages, archeology and anthropology--would be of no use to the game. It couldn't benefit from them."

"So, as far as that goes, I'm harmless," Daniel said.

Jack almost snorted. "Daniel, anyone who thinks you're harmless is an idiot, and that was true even before you got your super powers."

"There is another reason why Daniel would be the best choice to go," Sam said. "Though his abilities like telekinesis may not work, his ability to sense danger and see the future probably will."

"How come they'd still work but not the other things?" Jack asked.

"Because they have nothing to do with influencing physical matter."

"Regardless of whether the drone is flesh and blood or a virtual creation, it's still a danger to me," Daniel explained, "and my sixth sense would pick up on it."

Sam nodded. "Right, and it's possible that you may also be able to speak telepathically to Teal'c. All of those things could be a huge advantage in the game."

Daniel gave a short nod. "All right, let's do it."

"I can't say that I like this idea," Janet said, "but I guess we have no other choice."

The other chair was brought into the lab.

"Okay, there's something you need to understand," Bill said to Daniel as he was hooked up. "Because you and Teal'c will be playing together, if either one of you dies, the simulation will consider the game lost and will reset, even if the other person is still alive."

"I'll remember that."

Bill went over to the computer and entered in some data. "Okay, the second chair is hooked up the way we want it to be. We're all set."

Sam stepped up to Daniel and gave him a long kiss. "Be careful, okay?"

He gave her a smile. "I will." He looked over at Bill. "I'm ready."

"Good luck," Jack said.

An instant later, Daniel found himself standing in an SGC corridor. He touched his own hand, feeling the solidness of flesh and bone.

"Wow, this is interesting. It's hard to believe it isn't real."

"Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six," called Harriman's voice over the PA system. "All security teams to the gate room."

Several security men ran past Daniel. He looked up and down the corridor and spotted Teal'c coming around a corner, looking tired.

"Teal'c!" he called.

The Jaffa stopped, staring at him. "You should not be here, Daniel Jackson." He raised his weapon and aimed it at the archeologist.

"Teal'c, what are you doing?"

"You are another ploy of the game. You are most likely a Goa'uld. If I do not kill you, you will use your abilities to defeat me."

"Teal'c, I'm not a Goa'uld. I'm--"

Before Daniel could answer, Teal'c pulled the trigger. Instinct took over, and Daniel's mind attempted to stop the bullet. It didn't work, and Daniel felt the searing pain of the slug slamming into his chest. He fell against the wall, slowly sliding down as blackness covered his vision.

"He shot him!" Jack exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah," Sam said. "I'm afraid that, at this point, Teal'c isn't going to trust anyone. At least now we know that the game doesn't know about Daniel's abilities. I'd think that Daniel would have stopped the bullet, if he was able to. That's a good thing."

"Yeah, if he can manage not to keep getting killed by Teal'c."

--------------------------------------------------

Again, Daniel found himself standing in the same place as before.

"Okay, that wasn't quite the way I thought things would go."

The same announcement came over the PA, and, like before, security personnel went running by. On cue, Teal'c came around the corner.

"Teal'c! Now, before you start wondering why I'm here, let me explain that. . . ." Teal'c lifted his side arm, yet again pointing it at Daniel. "No, no, no! Wait! Don't--"

This time, the pain of the bullet lasted only a second before Daniel's consciousness fled. No sooner was he 'dead' then he was alive again and standing in the same place as the first two times.

"I got to get used to this," he muttered. He watched the men running by, noticing something weird for the first time. Ghostly images of each man ran ahead of them. Daniel realized that it was the two-second delay causing this. He was simultaneously seeing where the men were now and where they'd be in two seconds. Okay, that was more than a little strange. If it wasn't for his experience with precognition and his sixth sense, he'd be kind of freaked out.

Really not wanting to get shot again, Daniel hurried through a doorway across the corridor and hid behind the wall until Teal'c was past. That's when he realized something. He could not sense Teal'c's presence, nor that of anyone else. It did make sense. None of these people were physically there.

Though Daniel knew that it could cause problems, he was almost wishing that he could use his abilities. He'd gotten used to the security of having them, the knowledge that that power was at his command. Now that he didn't have it, he felt somewhat crippled. He'd have to adapt to doing things the 'old-fashioned' way again.

Daniel got himself a sidearm and went in search of Teal'c. He knew that the Jaffa would have to go to Sam's lab to get the modulator chip, so that would be the best place to look.

Teal'c was where Daniel thought he'd be, apparently searching for the chip. The archeologist entered, his weapon aimed at his friend. The Jaffa raised his own gun.

"Easy," Daniel said. "Don't shoot. Just hear me out. Okay, it's me. I'm real. I'm not a Goa'uld, and I'm going to prove that to you, okay?"

Teal'c pulled the trigger. Daniel's reacted instinctively again and tried to stop the bullet. He was shocked when, this time, it worked.

"Uh oh," he said. Before he could say anything else, Teal'c shot again. Daniel stopped that bullet, too, then jerked the weapon out of Teal'c's hand.

In the 'real' world, Sam said, "Uh oh," echoing Daniel.

"What just happened?" Jack asked. "How come he can do that now?"

"Hold on, sir." Sam kept watching the screen. Daniel was talking to Teal'c.

"Teal'c, listen to me," he was saying. "I'm not what you think I am. I'm playing, too. I'm in a chair just like--"

Daniel's voice broke off, his sixth sense warning him of danger at the same time as the two-second precognition showed him the threat. He spun around just in time to see two drones step into the doorway. They fired upon him and Teal'c. Daniel managed to stop the energy bolts, then flung the drones back against the opposite wall. Before he could do anything else, his senses screamed another warning at him. Then a fiery bolt of agony speared through his chest from a weapon he could not see, held by a cloaked drone.

"Oh, this isn't good," Sam said as the game reset yet again.

"Okay, could someone explain this to me?" Jack asked. "I still don't understand how come Daniel's abilities didn't work before, but they do now."

"We screwed up, sir. We forgot one important thing."

Bill slapped his forehead. "Right! Why didn't I think of that?"

Jack waved his hand. "Hello. Explanation please."

"Do you recall what I said about how the simulations work, General?" Bill asked.

"You mean that stuff about a matrix?"

The scientist nodded. "Part of the programming for the simulations come from the memories of the user."

"Neither one of us thought about the fact that, once Daniel became a player in the game, the chair would read his memories, those that it considered relevant," Sam said, "and some of those memories. . . ."

"Would be of Daniel using his abilities to fight Goa'uld," Jack finished. "Crap."

"What just happened, all three of the drones converging on the lab, is the game's response to the threat Daniel poses."

"Big red bull's eye," Jack muttered.

"I'm afraid so, sir. You see, in this simulation, Anubis is in control of the drones, and, as Daniel is aware, Anubis knows about his abilities. In a real situation, Anubis would have commanded the drones to seek Daniel out and do all they could to kill him. The game is using that fact to create a new problem to overcome."

"So, we made things even worse by sending Daniel in."

"Maybe, maybe not. Daniel will be aware of the danger now and be more careful."

Sam and the others turned back to the screen. Daniel was running down a corridor, frequently looking over his shoulder. Not slowing, he entered Sam's lab. Before Teal'c could lift his weapon, Daniel psychically snatched the gun out of his hand and tossed it across the room.

"Okay, Teal'c. I've got some things to explain to you, but that will have to wait for a second," the archeologist said.

He turned to the door, closing it. He then locked it, fried the controls, and wedged the door shut by warping the edges. He did the same with the door on the other side of the room.

"Okay, that should hold them off for a little while," he said. He turned back to Teal'c. His voice and manner softened upon seeing the slightly glazed look in Teal'c's eyes. The man looked like he was on the verge of collapse. "Teal'c, you need to hear me out. Do you remember what happened the last time around? I came in here and tried to talk to you, but you tried to shoot me. Then all three drones attacked us. I was killed. Maybe you were, too." He saw confusion and uncertainty on Teal'c's face. "I know. You've been through this so many times it's probably just one big blur, but you have to concentrate. I know all this because I'm real. I'm in another Gamekeeper chair. I entered the game to help you." He stepped forward and grasped his friend's arm. "I know how tired you are, buddy, but I'm going to help you beat this thing."

Teal'c's eyes cleared, gazing at him intently. Then he reached out and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Daniel Jackson."

Daniel smiled gently. "Yeah. It's really me, Teal'c."

The Jaffa sagged a little, bracing himself against the worktable, his head bowed. "It will not let me out."

"I know. The game thinks that, in a real situation, you'd never quit."

"No matter what I do, it is not possible, Daniel Jackson. It is not possible!"

"Yes, it is. That's why I'm here."

Teal'c lifted his head and looked at Daniel.

"We can do this, Teal'c. There may be just one little problem."

As if in response to Daniel's statement, they both heard loud banging on the door Daniel had come through, then the sound of several drone weapons firing at it.

"The door will eventually fail," Teal'c stated.

"Yeah, I know, and I'm betting that those drones are really bent on getting in here. That's the problem I was talking about. When I first entered the game, my abilities didn't work, which is why you were able to shoot me that first time . . . and the second time. By the way, if either of us dies, we both lose. The game resets. Anyway, all of a sudden, my abilities have started working in here, and that could be a big problem."

"The drones will see you as a great threat and seek to destroy you."

"Yeah. I'm going to be their number one target. But, if we can get past that, we've got a good chance of winning this game."

"I am glad you are here, Daniel Jackson."

The linguist nodded once. "Come on. Let's find that chip and win this game."

* * *

Okay, here's my apology for taking so long to post this chapter. Some of you already know what's been going on with me. For over a month, I was dealing with a major case of writer's block and didn't do any writing at all. After I got past that, I was focusing my attention on other fics. Then, a few weeks ago, I began suffering from a hip and lower back problem that made it impossible for me to sit at my desk for more than a few minutes without being in pain. The problem is gradually getting better, but I still cannot sit in a firm chair (like an office chair) for any length of time without discomfort. After unsuccessfully trying several different office chairs to find one that would be comfortable and then attempting a few other solutions, I ended up rearranging my office so that I could sit at my desk in my recliner, which has lots of padding and is big enough for me to periodically adjust my sitting position, two things I need to be able to sit for a great length of time. There is still some discomfort, but it's not too bad. I'm hoping that I'll be able to return to posting a chapter a week for this story, although it might take longer sometimes. 


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Janet's eyes did not stray from the monitor showing Teal'c's vital signs. She really did not like what she was seeing.

"We're going to need a crash cart standing by in here," she said, heading to the phone to call the infirmary.

"You can't introduce an electrical impulse to the chair like that," Bill said.

"He's right," Sam agreed.

"Sam, if Teal'c suffers one more reset, there's a very good chance that he'll go into cardiac arrest," the doctor declared. She shook her head and began dialing the infirmary. "I need to have one in here regardless. If I can't use the defibrillator, I can at least try the epinephrine. I just don't know if it will be enough to save him."

The others looked at the two men in the chairs, afraid, that, soon, one of them would die for real.

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It did not take Daniel and Teal'c long to find the chip, which was a good thing since the door was not going to hold much longer.

Daniel got an idea and explained it to Teal'c, who approved of the plan. The archeologist walked up a wall. He knew that another lab was on the other side. Using as little power as necessary, he knocked a hole in the wall big enough for him and Teal'c to crawl through. It took more power than what it normally would because of the steel plating that was in the walls of all the laboratories. Daniel hoped that he wouldn't have to use his abilities much more. He couldn't afford the distraction that a headache would cause. And he had no doubt that he'd get one if he overdid it. This might all be happening inside a computer simulation, but, as he'd personally found out, the game could inflict pain and would know about his limitations.

Teal'c and Daniel crept up to the open door of the room and positioned themselves against the wall. They could hear the drones still trying to get into Sam's lab. The two men nodded at each other, then rushed out into the corridor. Teal'c aimed his weapon, which now had the modified chip, at the drones as Daniel pinned their arms to their sides. With two shots, they were both dead. The teammates ducked back into the room.

Daniel closed his eyes, trying to sense any other danger nearby. His ability to feel the presence of others was one power that had apparently not been adapted into the game, maybe because there was no way to simulate such a thing. He would not be able to rely upon it to tell him when a drone or Goa'uld was near. But his sixth sense was not sending him any warnings, and he wasn't seeing anything with the two-second precognitive thing. The cloaked drone wasn't here this time.

"I think we're clear," he said. He and Teal'c exited the room. "Okay, so what's next?"

"We must seek to prevent a Naquadah generator from overloading or the base's self-destruct from being activated. Either threat is possible."

Just then, the "two-second warning" showed Daniel that Sam was coming. He turned around to see her come running around a corner.

"Guys! We're in big trouble here," she shouted as she hurried up to them.

"Yeah, we know," Daniel replied. "We took out two of the drones, but there's a third one around here somewhere, probably cloaked, and there may be a Goa'uld, too."

Sam stared at him. "How do you know that? Did you see something in the future?"

"There's no time to explain, Sam. It's likely that they're going to try to blow up the base."

Suddenly, Daniel received a double warning that told him the cloaked drone was there and about to attack.

"Look out!" he yelled, pushing Sam and Teal'c out of the way. The drone became visible in the corridor, firing its weapons. The archeologist threw it backwards.

Distracted by the attack, Daniel did not sense a second threat until it was too late. Before he could turn around, he and Teal'c were shot in the back by Sam, her eyes glowing.

As the game reset, what Janet had feared happened.

"His heart's stopped!" she cried. She dashed across the room and snatched up the syringe of epinephrine. She plunged the needle into Teal'c's heart and injected the drug. Thankfully, it worked.

"He's got a pulse," Sam said in relief.

Janet was not quite as relieved. "For now, but that won't work again."

"I don't want to see that again!" Jack exclaimed, horrified by the sight he'd just witnessed. "When are they going to beat this thing?"

"Unfortunately, in this situation, Daniel's abilities are proving to be almost as much of a hindrance as a help," Sam said. "It's resulted in an even greater threat because the game is now targeting him first and foremost. He's being overwhelmed before he has a chance to take full advantage of the precognitive ability. He needs to find a way to get around that, create a strategy that will make full use of the precognition."

Jack nodded. "Okay. Daniel's up to the challenge. He came up with a strategy to rescue you and Teal'c from Baal. He can do this, too."

"I hope you're right, General," Janet responded. "If there's another reset, Teal'c will likely not survive."

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Daniel ran down the corridor, cursing himself for a fool. He'd fallen right into that one. When Sam joined them, he never considered for an instant that she might be a Goa'uld, which was probably what the game was anticipating. Well, it wouldn't happen again. From now on, Daniel wouldn't trust anyone, except for Teal'c.

The archeologist came to a stop. He was going to have to come up with a different way to do this, one that would actually take advantage of the fact that he was a primary target. With that thought in mind, Daniel slipped into a darkened room and hid behind a table. He closed his eyes and sought out Teal'c's mind.

_'Teal'c,'_ he said telepathically. _'Can you hear me?' _

_'I can, Daniel Jackson,'_ came the mental reply.

_'Where are you?' _

_'I am approaching Colonel Carter's lab to retrieve the modulator chip.' _

_'Okay, I'm going to head that way, too. I've got a plan that I think might work.'_ He explained the plan to Teal'c, telling him about the ability to see things two seconds in the future.

Keeping his senses alert and trying to use the game-generated precognition as well as possible, Daniel headed to Level 19. Instead of going to Sam's lab, he entered a room two doors down and hid.

_'I'm in position, Teal'c,'_ he told his teammate silently.

_'I have found the chip and am also in position.' _

_'You closed and locked the other door to the lab, right?' _

_'Yes, the door we entered through before is now the only unblocked entrance.' _

_'Good.' _

Remaining still, Daniel blocked out everything else from his mind but the precognition. It wasn't long before it showed him the approach of two drones.

_'They're coming,'_ Daniel warned Teal'c.

The drones came down the hall, passing right by the room Daniel was hiding in and continuing to Sam's lab. Daniel left his hiding place and took up position behind the wall beside the door.

As the supersoldiers drew up to Sam's lab, Daniel mentally shouted, _'Now!' _

At the same moment that Daniel swung out into the corridor, Teal'c did the same from a similar position in the lab. As the Jaffa shot one of the drones, Daniel killed the other by crushing its neck right where he knew the symbiote would be. Both drones fell dead to the floor. The way Daniel had killed his drone may have bothered him a little, if the thing was real.

Daniel ducked back into the room, using every ability available to him to see if the third drone was around. As far as he could tell, it wasn't.

_'I think we're clear,'_ he told Teal'c voicelessly.

The two men entered the hall. Daniel walked up to Teal'c, staring down at the dead drones.

"Yeah, this could work. That two-second precognition is a little like a weird version of what Jack calls my Spidey sense. It's taken some getting used to, but I think I have a handle on it now. The cloaked drone is going to be harder, though, because I can't actually see it coming."

"And the Goa'uld?"

"Yeah. We can't trust anyone, Teal'c, not even Sam or Jack."

"I concur. We must consider ourselves to be alone in this battle."

The two men headed down the hallway, senses alert. Daniel took a P-90 from a dead marine. Though it wouldn't work against the remaining drone, it would against the Goa'uld.

"Okay, in the last two games, it concentrated most of its efforts on killing me, which worked both times," Daniel said.

"But it would be aware that we will be on guard for such a tactic. It may change strategies."

"Yeah. This time, the cloaked drone doesn't seem to be around here, which means it'll be sprung on us later. Before I entered the game, the main goal was to destroy the base. That would still be a goal, just not the only one."

"Another would be to make certain that you die as well."

"Right. Blowing up the base would also kill me, so we need to make it impossible for them to do that, at least with the autodestruct or a Naquadah generator."

"How will we accomplish that?"

"Come on. Let's get to the self-destruct device."

Daniel and Teal'c descended to Level 28. Every person they passed was looked upon with suspicion. The Goa'uld could be in any one of them.

As they entered the room, Daniel gazed at the nuclear device. It was a lot bigger than a Naquadah generator.

"Okay, from what I understand, there's more than one way that this thing can be activated," he said, "so the only way to prevent it is to disable the device itself . . . without blowing up the mountain, which, um, isn't going to be easy since I don't really know what I'm doing. I really wish we could trust. . . ." He abruptly turned to the door, raising his weapon. "Sam's coming."

She appeared in the next second. "What are you guys doing here?" Neither man lowered their weapons. "What's going on?"

"Sorry, Sam, but we can't trust that you're still you. There's a Goa'uld running around here somewhere."

"How do you know that?"

"It doesn't matter right now. I need to disable the self-destruct device so that the Goa'uld can't use it to blow up the base."

"What? No, you can't." Sam took a step forward. "We may have to destroy the base to keep an invasion force from coming through the gate and attacking the surface."

"I'm sorry, Sam, but I have no choice."

"No! Daniel, you don't know what you're doing. One wrong move, and you could set it off."

"I know."

"If you have to do this, let me help you."

"I wish I could, but I can't trust you," Daniel said regretfully.

"Daniel, it's me. I'm not a Goa'uld."

Daniel met her eyes for a long moment, then, "Teal'c, cover her." He turned to the device. Closing his eyes, he sought to delve into the inner workings with his mind, not even knowing if this ability would work. It did. Soon, he was viewing inside the thing. The problem was that he didn't understand most of what he saw. Then he saw the core. That he understood all too well.

Daniel stared at some wiring leading from what he thought was the timer. He knew that, when the autodestruct was activated, it initiated a countdown. If he cut all those wires from the timer, that would prevent the device from going off, right? Daniel recalled when Anubis sent a Naquadah-filled meteor on a collision course with Earth. When Jack and Teal'c had to deactivate the nuclear bomb that had been set to detonate, they were forced to do it by cutting wires from the timer to the detonator. Sam had said that if they cut the wrong wire, the bomb would go off. Was the same thing true here? Crap.

Daniel knew that, if he screwed up, he'd get another chance to do this all over again, but would Teal'c? He had to get it right this time.

That's when he remembered something else.

Desperately hoping that he wasn't going to kill Teal'c, Daniel looked at the wires and snapped the red one. Nothing happened. To make sure that the wire couldn't be spliced, he completely destroyed it.

Opening his eyes, Daniel turned to the two other people in the room.

"What did you do?" Sam asked.

"This was a much better designed bomb," he replied with a little smile.

Sam frowned in puzzlement. "What?"

Daniel decided now would not be the time to remind her about that incident with the meteor, how all the wires in the bomb were yellow instead of one being red, the one that needed to be cut. At the time, Jack had complained about the poor design of the bomb. All Daniel could hope was that the red wire was the right one to cut with this device. He didn't dare cut all of them.

"Okay, I hope what I just did will prevent the autodestruct from being set," Daniel said, "but I also have to make sure the bomb can't be detonated manually. That's going to be a little more noisy. Let's get out of here."

With Teal'c still keeping his weapon pointed at Sam, the three of them left the room. Daniel turned back around and looked through the open doorway. His gaze went to the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, he focused his power. A low rumbling began. Cracks formed in the ceiling, racing in jagged lines across its surface. With a roar, the ceiling collapsed, burying the room in tons of concrete.

Sam gasped, jumping back and shielding her face from debris.

"Daniel! You could have damaged the casing!" she cried.

"I slowed the descent of the ceiling around it. It should be okay." Daniel studied his handiwork. "Okay, it would take a while to dig that out, even for a drone. Hopefully, it'll be enough."

Suddenly, a warning shot through Daniel. He spun around as he saw a two-second view of the future.

"Look out!" he yelled as the cloaked drone appeared before them, firing its weapon. He, Teal'c and Sam dove for the floor as Daniel attacked the drone, hurtling it against the far wall. From his position on the floor, Teal'c shot it.

Daniel got to his knees. "Teal'c, you okay?"

"I am unharmed."

Daniel looked over at Sam. "Sam?" When he got no reply, he scrambled over to her. There was a burn from an energy weapon in her chest. Glazed, pain-filled eyes looked up at him.

"I love you," she whispered, touching his face. Then her eyes closed, and her body went limp.

"Sam," Daniel murmured, his stomach clenching. He felt for a pulse and found none. "God."

"Daniel Jackson, this is not the real Colonel Carter," Teal'c said gently.

Daniel drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Yeah, I know. It just . . . it just shook me for a second." He got to his feet. "Come on. Now that the third drone is dead, the Goa'uld will target the Naquadah generator."

The two men hurriedly ascended to the level where the storage room containing the Naquadah generator was. They exited the elevator . . . and came face to face with Jack, who aimed his P-90 at them. Daniel and Teal'c responded by brandishing their own weapons.

"Jack," Daniel said.

"Daniel. Would you mind telling me what's going on? I just got a report that the room with the self-destruct device was pretty much destroyed. Now, I'm thinking that you're the only one around here with the ability to do that without the use of explosives."

"Yes, it was me. I had no choice. Did you also hear that Sam is dead?"

Jack's expression changed to one of shock and dismay. "What? God, Daniel, I'm so sorry. You couldn't save her?"

"I probably could have, if I'd tried, but there was no time. There's a Goa'uld around here that's going to blow up the base with a Naquadah generator, if we don't stop them. And, for all we know, that Goa'uld is you."

"I'm not a Goa'uld, Daniel, but I have to wonder if you are. You seem awfully composed for a man who just lost the woman he loves."

"Trust me, Jack. If I'd actually just lost Sam, I wouldn't be this calm."

Jack's brow furrowed. "Come again?"

"There's no time to explain, and, even if I tried, you wouldn't believe me."

"Daniel Jackson, we must hurry," Teal'c said.

Daniel's gaze flickered to Jack's weapon, which went flying out of the man's grasp.

"Hey!" Jack yelled in objection.

"Sorry. If you're not a Goa'uld, I'll get you another one. I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us."

His expression making it clear that he meant business, Teal'c gestured at Jack with his weapon.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," the general muttered.

With Jack in front, the three men ran to the storage room. As they entered it, Daniel's sixth sense was already warning him of danger. Siler was beside the generator, which had clearly been set to overload.

"Sir, it's overloading," he said. "I need to try to stop it."

"Get away from it," Daniel ordered firmly, aiming his weapon at the man.

"What? Doctor Jackson, it's going to explode, if I don't stop it."

"And you may be the one who is responsible for that condition," Teal'c stated.

"Huh?"

"They think you might be a Goa'uld, Siler," Jack said, "although I find the idea of you as a Goa'uld just a little . . . absurd. No offence."

"I'm not a Goa'uld, General, though it probably was one who did this."

Daniel stared down at the generator. The pitch of its whine was getting steadily higher.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said urgently, knowing they were running out of time.

Daniel looked back and forth between Jack and Siler. "I don't know. I can't tell." Damn. What he wouldn't give right now for his ability to sense symbiotes.

The archeologist knew that this was up to him. If he made the wrong decision, he could be dooming Teal'c. They couldn't trust Siler, but the only other person who would have had a prayer of stopping the overload was dead.

"We need to get rid of it, Teal'c," he said, "throw it through the gate, like you tried to do before."

Putting aside his weapon, Teal'c picked up the generator as Daniel kept a close eye on Jack and Siler.

"Come on. Let's go," Daniel said.

All four men left the room. Daniel saw a phone on the wall down the corridor and rushed over to it. He called the control room.

"This is Daniel Jackson. Dial . . . dial P4M-523 immediately."

"Sir, you don't have authorization to order that," Sergeant Harriman responded.

Crap. "Walter, we don't have time for this! There's a Naquadah generator here that's about to blow up, and we have to get rid of it! Forget about regulations and authorizations."

"Doctor Jackson, I'm sorry, but--"

Just then, Jack snatched the phone from Daniel's grasp. "Walter, just dial the damn gate!" he yelled into the receiver.

"Yes, sir!" the sergeant immediately replied.

Daniel gasped as he was struck with two warnings simultaneously. He jerked around to see Siler, his eyes glowing, pull a pistol out from underneath his coveralls and aim it at him.

With a shout, Daniel struck at the man even as the trigger was being pulled. The sergeant was flung backwards, the bullet zipping past Daniel mere inches from his head.

Siler struck the wall with tremendous force and fell limply to the floor.

Jack stared at him. "Damn. He _was_ a Goa'uld."

"Come on! Let's go!" Daniel exclaimed.

He, Jack and Teal'c hurried down to the gate room, knowing that the generator could explode at any second. The final chevron was locking as they rushed into the room.

The wormhole burst to life. Not stopping, Teal'c headed for the ramp.

And that's when something happened that neither he nor Daniel had expected. His mind distracted, Daniel didn't sense it until the gun was already drawn. Shocked, he spun around to see Jack, a look of determination on his face, aim at Teal'c's back and pull the trigger.

"No!" Daniel screamed as he struck, too late, at the man who was yet another Goa'uld, sending him flying all the way across the gate room to slam with fatal force against the wall. At the same time, Daniel tried to deflect the bullet, but was horrified to see it strike its target. Teal'c crumpled on the ramp.

His sixth sense clamoring within him, Daniel scrambled up the ramp, wrenched the generator from underneath Teal'c's body, and threw it with all his might into the wormhole.

"Shut it down!" he yelled at the top of his voice.

Harriman complied, and the gate disengaged.

With a feeling of dread, Daniel knelt beside his friend. "Teal'c?" God, please don't let them have come so close only to fail now.

With a groan, the Jaffa slowly sat up, clutching his left shoulder. "I am fine, Daniel Jackson." He smiled. "We are victorious."

All at once, the gate room vanished. Daniel opened his eyes and found himself in the lab, the real Sam, Jack, Bill and Janet all staring at him.

Feeling a little disoriented, he asked, "Is it finished?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah. You did it."

Daniel laid his head back with a relieved sigh, his eyes closing.

Teal'c's eyes slowly opened.

"Shutting off power to both chairs," Sam said, walking over to the controls.

Jack stepped up to Teal'c.

"O'Neill," the Jaffa said tiredly.

"Hey." Jack patted the man on the shoulder, smiling.

"We have won."

"Well . . . it's what we do."

Teal'c nodded and smiled in satisfaction. Jack returned the smile.

"Excuse me, General," Janet said. Jack moved out of the way for her. "How are you feeling, Teal'c?"

"I am tired."

The doctor smiled in understanding. "Yes, I imagine you are. There's a gurney on the way to take you to the infirmary, where you can sleep to your heart's content." She turned to Daniel. "How about you?"

"I'm okay, just eager to get disconnected from this thing."

"Nevertheless, I'll want you to go to the infirmary, too, so that I can check you out. You died four times in the game, which did put a physical strain on your body."

The two men were taken to the infirmary. Daniel would have preferred to walk there under his own power, but Janet insisted that he use a wheelchair.

Not long after they got there, Teal'c was asleep, his exhausted, adrenalin-deprived body giving him no other choice.

"How's he doing?" Jack asked Janet.

"He'll be all right. It was a close thing, though. I really don't think he'd have survived another reset."

"And Daniel?"

"He's fine, just a little tired."

Jack went over to the archeologist, who was sitting upon one of the beds, fully clothed. Sam was there as well. A nurse had just finished taking his blood pressure.

"How's Teal'c doing?" Daniel asked.

"The doc says he'll be okay." Jack gave his friend a look. "So, Daniel. I understand why you had to attack me in the game, but did ya have to throw me so hard? You probably broke every bone in my body . . . _his_ body. It made me hurt just seeing it."

Daniel looked contrite. "Sorry. I was a little upset."

"Ya think?"

"I almost can't believe the game put in a second Goa'uld," Sam said.

"I guess it was getting in one last twist," Daniel responded.

Jack patted his shoulder. "You did good, Daniel. You and Teal'c beat it."

"Barely. I sure hope we don't go through anything like that for real. In a real situation, we wouldn't get any do-overs."

"Daniel, you've gotten do-overs almost more times than I can count."

"It would be a little tough to come back to life after being incinerated by a Naquadah or nuclear explosion, Jack."

"Yeah, you do have a point there, although it wouldn't surprise me if Oma ascended you again."

"Daniel, I was wondering about something," Sam said. "You couldn't sense who was a Goa'uld?"

"No. My ability to sense the presences of others didn't exist in the game, probably because it didn't have a way to simulate that."

"Or maybe it was cheating just a little bit," Jack remarked. The others turned to him. "If you'd known who the Goa'uld was, you'd have had a really big advantage. The game couldn't have surprised you like it did with Carter and then with me."

"Sir, like I said, the chair doesn't have an ego," Sam said, "and its programming wouldn't allow it to cheat."

"Oh, it definitely wasn't cheating," Daniel stated.

"How do you know?" Jack asked.

"Sam told me about why it was that my powers suddenly started working in the game, about how it read my memories. Okay, so reading my memories would tell it what I was capable of doing, but it wouldn't enable it to know what I was making my abilities to do each time I used them in the game. Like, for instance, when I telekinetically threw a drone or a Goa'uld through the air. How did it know that's what I wanted to do? I didn't say it out loud. I just mentally thought it. So, the only way those abilities could have worked right was if the game was reading my thoughts."

An expression of realization filled Sam's face. "Daniel, you're right. That _is_ the only way it would have worked."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with not cheating?" Jack asked.

"Think about it, Jack," Daniel answered. "If it could read my mind, it would have known what I was planning at the beginning of that last scenario when I telepathically talked to Teal'c. If it wanted to cheat, it wouldn't have made the drones walk right past my position. It would have had them look in that room, ruining the plan. There are dozens of ways it could have cheated, taken advantage of things it read in our minds or heard us say."

"Yeah, okay, so it didn't cheat. I still think we should pull the plug on the thing and never let anyone else sit in one of those chairs."

"Sir, this won't happen again," Sam said. "The program will be changed to eliminate the danger. It would still be useful for what it was originally intended to be, a training device for personnel."

"Uh huh. Well, I did learn one thing. Rather, I realized there was something that needed to be done." Jack looked at his best friend. "You now have the authority to order the gate dialed, even in foothold situations and when the base is under attack."

"Thanks. I just hope I never have to use it."

"And now, everyone, I am going to bed," Jack said. "It has been a very, very long day, and the sun will be up before we know it."

"Yeah, I'm going to get some sleep, too," Sam said, muffling a yawn.

Daniel got to his feet. "Make that three of us." He smiled slightly. "Dying four times in one day kind of wore me out."

"As often as you've died for real, I'd think you'd be used to it by now," Jack remarked. "You know. All in a day's work."

"Have _you_ gotten used to it?"

"Hell no. The day I actually get used to dying is the day I retire."

The three friends stopped by Teal'c's bed on the way out, seeing that he was still dead to the world.

As they were walking toward the elevator, Sam noticed that Daniel was frowning slightly.

"Something the matter?" she asked.

"I was just thinking about something. We figured that a lot of what the game did was in an effort to give Teal'c a real challenge. Well, when I entered the game, the same would be true for me since I was now a player, too, right?"

Sam nodded. "I would think so."

"But my strengths and weaknesses are not the same as Teal'c's." Daniel's eyes met Sam's. "When your character was shot, she told me that she loved me before she died. First, that tells me that, amidst all the memories the game got from my mind must have been some about our relationship. But it tells me something else as well."

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"Well, in the earlier replays of the game, Sam and you were killed numerous times, but it was never done in a . . . well, in a sad way. You died quickly, and the game continued. That last time was different. Sam's death happened in a more upsetting way, specifically, in a way that would upset _me_. Now, if it had been only Teal'c playing, he'd have continued like nothing happened because he'd immediately have reasoned that it wasn't really Sam. But with me . . . for a few seconds, it really upset me. My first instinct was to heal her. I think that's exactly why the game did it. It was another challenge for me to overcome. If that situation had been real, I'd have wanted to heal Sam even though it would have cost precious time and weakened me."

"I suppose you could be right," Sam said. "The game could have evaluated your character, like it did Teal'c's, and determined that your emotions control your actions far more than Teal'c's do and that something like having my character just about die in your arms would upset you and might influence your actions."

"Yeah. It decided that how I feel about you could be used as a weapon against me, just like Anubis did when he chose to possess you instead of someone I had no emotional attachment to."

"Well, it's over, Daniel," Jack said. "You won the game, just like you beat Anubis."

--------------------------------------------------

The ship landed on the barren, frozen planet. Rejel hated these trips to this godforsaken block of ice, but this planet was the only one accessible to him that had the rare mineral the people of Meshdool prized so greatly. The money he made was well worth a few frozen fingers and toes. The trader--and sometimes smuggler--just wished that he had a way to take that Stargate sitting all alone and unused. But then, it didn't have a dialing device, so it was pretty much useless.

As Rejel prepared the equipment that would begin the mining process, he failed to see the black, fog-like apparition coming up behind him. By the time he became aware of it, it was far too late to do anything more than cry out in fear. And then the consciousness of Rejel Deen knew no more.

* * *

Well, there we go, my version of Avatar. I hope you found it exciting. For those of you who have been asking for more Jack/Janet, you'll be getting your wish in the next chapter.  



	29. Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Teal'c was released in the afternoon, though he was under doctor's orders to take it easy for the rest of the day. Shortly after being released, he went to Daniel's office. The archeologist was busy writing his report about the events in the simulation. 

He stopped typing and looked at his friend with a smile. "Hey, Teal'c. How are you feeling?" 

"I am greatly improved." The Jaffa came further into the room. "I wish to thank you for entering the game to aid me." 

"You don't have to thank me, Teal'c. Jack and Sam also volunteered. I was just the most logical choice to go, although, considering what happened, I have to wonder now if I was the right choice." 

"Nevertheless, I owe you thanks. You put yourself at risk and suffered repeatedly because of it." 

"Teal'c, that's what teammates do for each other. That's what _friends_ do for each other. If our positions had been reversed, you'd have done the same thing." 

"Indeed." 

"We did learn something really important during that whole thing. Up until now, Sam is the only person I've spoken with telepathically. I had believed that I could with you and Jack as well, but, now, we know for sure that I can with you, and I'm pretty certain I could with Jack, too," Daniel smiled, "which would probably completely freak him out." His smile broadened. "I'll have to try it sometime just to see the reaction I get." 

Teal'c smiled. "I would be most interested to see that as well, Daniel Jackson." 

"Okay, I'll be sure to do it when you're around." 

Once Teal'c had left, Daniel finished his report, then took it to Jack's office. He put it on the desk. 

"There it is, though you already know pretty much all of it since you were watching the whole simulation." 

"Yeah, well, the report isn't for my benefit, Daniel. The brass get a little cranky when they don't have written reports on the things we do around here." 

Daniel settled into a chair. "Aren't you one of 'the brass', Jack?" 

"Bite your tongue, Daniel. I may be a general and in charge of this place, but, in my head, I will never be one of the brass." 

"Ah." Daniel fell silent. 

"Was there something else?" Jack inquired. 

"Ummm . . . kind of. While I was visiting Teal'c in the infirmary this morning, I talked with Janet." Daniel looked straight into Jack's eyes. "I don't know if she's made the request yet, but she's hoping to take some leave next week." He paused. "She wants to go to Atlantis to study their medical facilities more thoroughly and discuss Doctor Beckett's research." 

Jack's expression closed off a little. "Yes, she has already put in her request." 

"And?" 

"And I said yes. She's got the leave coming, and she could learn some stuff over there that might help us, maybe even save some lives." 

"And how do you feel about that?" 

Jack frowned. "How should I feel about it? It has nothing to do with me personally." 

"Jack." Daniel searched his friend's eyes. "When are you going to stop pretending?" 

Jack got up from his chair, going to the window that looked out into the briefing room. "I'm not pretending anything." 

Daniel stood and came over to him. "Jack, I saw how you reacted to the way that Janet and Doctor Beckett were together. You were jealous." He held up a finger when Jack opened his mouth. "And don't you dare deny it." Jack's mouth closed with a snap. "You have feelings for Janet. You may not be happy about them, but they still exist." 

"Okay, let's say, just for the sake of argument, that I was just the tiniest bit jealous. And let's also say, again for the sake of argument, that I was . . . mildly attracted to the doc. There's nothing I could do about it, even if I wanted to. I am the commander of this base, and Fraiser is a member of the military under my direct command. I could no more date her than I could have dated Carter when I had that . . . that thing for her. So, there's no use even talking about it, which I don't intend to do anymore." He returned to his desk and picked up the open file before him. 

Daniel stood there for a long moment, watching his friend's stiff posture and emotionless face. "I'm sorry, Jack," he said sadly. Then he turned and left the office. 

General Jack O'Neill's eyes lifted from the file and stared at the doorway the younger man had disappeared through. Then he put down the file, rest his forehead in his hands, and softly cursed. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Janet's leave lasted a week, throughout which Jack acted like a bear with a sore paw. Most people were wise enough to steer clear of him, if at all possible. His former teammates, on the other hand, tried their best to cheer him up. Whether or not he appreciated the effort was unknown, though the fact that he didn't bite their heads off probably meant something. 

Daniel's birthday was three days after Janet's departure. Jack and the archeologist's teammates took him out to a nice dinner and, afterwards, they spent the rest of the evening chatting at Jack's, talking about all that had changed over the past year. After they got back to Daniel's place, he and Sam continued the birthday celebrations by making love throughout half the night, Sam making Daniel one very happy--and very satisfied--man. 

On the following Monday morning, Sam was in the gate room to welcome Janet home. 

"Hey. Welcome back," she said with a smile as the doctor came down the ramp. 

Janet returned the smile. "Thanks." 

Sam studied her friend's face. "You look rested and refreshed." 

"It was nice to take a break for a while, and the medical facilities on Atlantis are amazing. What I wouldn't give to have some of those things in my infirmary." 

The two women left the gate room and headed toward the elevator. 

"And what about Doctor Beckett?" Sam asked, keeping her tone conversational. 

"Carson is a wonderful doctor. I admire the job he's done there and the things he's managed to accomplish. He is a very talented geneticist." 

As they made their way to the infirmary, Janet described some of the projects Doctor Beckett was doing and the things he'd already accomplished. 

"It sounds like you really like him," Sam commented in Janet's office as the doctor set down her duffel bag. 

"Yes, he is a very sweet man, and I respect him tremendously." Janet's eyes widened a little as a look of realization came to her face. "Oh! You mean _that_ way. No, not like that, although I do admit that, if circumstances were different, I might come to feel something for him. I think we'd be very compatible, like you and Daniel." 

"Soooo . . . when you say if circumstances were different, what exactly do you mean?" 

Janet stared at her. "We live and work in different galaxies, Sam. I know some people do manage to maintain a long distance relationship, but I think that would be a little extreme. Why are you asking?" 

"Just curious," Sam quickly replied. 

"Uh huh. Why don't I believe you?" 

Sam smiled. "I have no idea." She looked at the clock. "Well, I've got to get back to work. Maybe we can get together for lunch." 

Frowning slightly, Janet watched Sam leave. "What on Earth was that all about?" she murmured. 

Pushing the question out of her mind, Janet put on a lab coat and went out into the main ward. She chatted with her nurses a bit and checked the charts of the patients. Doctor Carmichael, a new doctor who had acted as C.M.O. while she was gone and who, from now on, would be the primary physician whenever Janet was off-duty, filled her in on all the new cases. 

She was back in her office, going through the paperwork that had piled up in her absence, when she got a visitor. 

"So, enjoy your vacation?" Jack asked casually. 

"Yes, sir, very much." 

"You and Beckett get along?" 

"Yes, sir. We got along very well." 

Jack wandered around the office, looking at things. "Learn anything new and exciting?" 

"As a matter of fact I did. There is some equipment in Atlantis that I think we may be able to create something similar to here. Of course, I'm not an expert on things like that. I had someone download schematics and other details onto my computer." 

Jack nodded. "I'll have someone take a look at it." He picked up a plastic model of the human spine, studying it. "So, you liked it there?" 

"Yes, it is an amazing place. I can understand why Daniel and Sam enjoyed their time there." 

Jack looked at her. "You're not planning on putting in for a transfer or anything, are you?" 

Janet smiled. "No, sir, I have no intention of doing that. My place is here." 

Jack set the model down. "Good. That's good. I wouldn't want to try finding a replacement for you." 

"Well, if I ever did leave, I'm sure you could find someone perfectly capable of taking my place. Doctor Carmichael is very good, and there is a Doctor Brightman that I've heard good things about." 

Jack shook his head. "Wouldn't be the same," he declared firmly. 

Janet smiled. "Thank you, General. That's a nice thing to say." 

Jack shrugged. "You've been here almost from the beginning, Doc. You'd be leaving an awfully big pair of shoes for someone to fill." 

"Well, thank you again. I don't think you'll have to worry about filling those shoes for a while yet, sir." 

"I'm glad to hear it." 

They continued to look at each other for a few seconds longer. Jack was the one to break their gaze. 

"Well, I'll let you get back to work." His eyes briefly met hers again. "It's good to have you home." Then he left. 

Janet sat for a long time afterward, deep in thought. In all the years she'd worked here, Jack had never talked like that to her. Yes, he'd told her on a few occasions that she'd done a good job, but it had never been like that. Of course, there had been those wonderful things he said about her when he presented her medal, but you're supposed to say wonderful things about a person who is being awarded a medal. This was different. Could he have been that worried that she was going to request a transfer to Atlantis, and did it really matter that much to him that she not leave? 

Janet thought about Sam's earlier questions regarding Carson Beckett. She'd seemed awfully interested in how Janet felt about the man. Sure, it wasn't unusual for a girlfriend to show such an interest. There was that incident with Doctor Holt, the geneticist at Area 51, when Sam had teasingly asked her about him, but there seemed to be something more to it than that. Could Sam also have been concerned that Janet would request a transfer? 

Yes, Carson was a lovely man, intelligent, compassionate and very dedicated to his work and his patients, just as she was. He was also quite attractive. Even so, Janet did not feel an attraction to him, though she had no doubt that they could become close friends. There was just no . . . spark. Of course, Janet had been around long enough to know that love didn't always begin with a spark, at least not one that you recognized. Look at Daniel and Sam. They'd been only friends for all those years. The change in their feelings for each other had snuck up on them unawares. That's the way it could be sometimes. That's the way it had been with. . . . 

No, she'd promised herself that she wouldn't think about that. It was totally inappropriate and also against regulations. Nothing could happen between her and Jack. Besides, it was just physical attraction, that's all. Yes, that kiss they shared last Christmas had just about made her toes curl, but since it had been a very long time since she was kissed by a man, that was understandable. It was a natural reaction. And it's not like he wasn't a very good-looking man. Looked at from a female perspective, there was something about him that was very appealing, even if he did often try her patience. 

But, regardless of any physical attraction she might feel toward him, regulations were regulations. That's all there was to it. 

Pushing thoughts of Jack O'Neill out of her mind, Janet got back to work. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

They almost managed to make it through the remainder of the week without any major events, but then, on Saturday, forty-two-year-old billionaire Alec Colson--who ran a global empire of companies including communications, biotechnology, aerospace and aviation--had called a huge press conference that caused a tidal wave of reaction. The man claimed that he had proof of the existence of technologically advanced alien life, aliens that had been intervening in our existence for quite some time and that more than one government knew about. He then gave an ultimatum, that if the governments who knew about this did not reveal the truth within twenty-four hours, Colson would do it for them. 

Around an hour after the press conference, Julia Donovan, the reporter who was onboard the Prometheus when it was hijacked two years ago, was on the air, talking about Colson. Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were in the briefing room, watching the broadcast, when Jack came in. 

"He personally holds over two hundred proprietary patents in both the military and domestic industries," Julia was saying, continuing her rundown of who and what Alec Colson was. 

"Shut it off," Jack ordered. Sam turned off the TV. "We know who he is," Jack's gaze focused on Sam, "some of us better than others." 

"We worked together briefly, sir," the astrophysicist responded. "Colson Aviation developed the multi-engine control systems for the F-302's. Colson didn't know what they were for, of course, but he is a brilliant engineer." 

"He's also a little nuts, isn't he?" 

"You've test flown experimental aircraft," Sam pointed out. 

"We all go through the gate," Daniel added. 

"This isn't about us," Jack said. 

"Well, in a way, it is." 

"The point is, sir, he's not some looney cult leader," Sam stated. "People are taking him seriously." 

"So, what do we think he knows?" Jack asked. He opened a file containing a photograph of Colson dressed in flying gear, standing beside a jet. 

"He owns several Earth observer and weather satellites," Sam replied. "Though he didn't give any hints about what spurred him to make this announcement, the fact that it's coming less than five and a half months after Anubis' attack on Earth leads me to believe it has something to do with that. Maybe it's possible they picked something up, pictures of Anubis' fleet in orbit or the battle over Antarctica." 

"What I don't understand is how it could have come this far," Daniel said. 

Jack looked at the file. "He's gotten the national security speech from the Pentagon several times. Apparently, the president has called him personally." 

"Why not merely tell him the truth?" Teal'c asked. 

"His personality was profiled, and he was deemed a security risk," Sam replied, making air quotes around the words "security risk". 

"For obvious reasons," Jack remarked. 

"Apparently, his father was a . . . a newspaper reporter who was jailed during the McCarthy era," Daniel said. "He believes pretty strongly in the freedom of speech and the rights of the people to know what the government is doing at all times." 

"Leaking classified information could be considered treason," Sam pointed out. 

Jack gave it some thought for a couple of seconds. "All right, see if he can be convinced not to go public," he said, turning around and heading toward his office. 

"Without actually telling him anything?" Daniel asked. 

"Right." 

Jack departed the briefing room, leaving his former teammates to ponder on how they were going to do what he asked. 

"Oookay," Daniel said. He looked at the other two people in the room. "Any suggestions? Sam, you know him better than any of us do since you've actually worked with him." 

"Unfortunately, what I do know about him doesn't lead me to believe that this is going to be easy. He's very stubborn, and it's not easy to sway him from a course of action once his mind is set upon it." 

"I guess all we can do is try." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Sam and Daniel met with Colson at his head office in Seattle. The first thing the man did was come close to flirting with Sam, which didn't please Daniel. Then he declared that he was a big fan of Daniel's, that he'd been following the archeologist's career since way back when Daniel posited the theory that the pyramids were landing pads for alien ships. He asked what Daniel had been doing since then. All the linguist said in reply was that he'd been around. 

Things went downhill from there. It turned out that Colson did, indeed, have satellite photos of the battle with Anubis' fleet. Brian Vogler, Colson's chief operating officer, right-hand man and best friend, explained that they'd lost contact with twelve communications and weather mapping satellites for over six hours on the day of Anubis' attack. When the satellites came back online, they were able to transmit images stored in the buffers. 

"Images like these can be faked," Sam stated. 

"Or made to seem fake," responded Colson. "I know why you're here, Sam." He walked up to her and Daniel, his eyes focused on the astrophysicist. "The Pentagon wants me to know that people like you are going to be trying to make me look like a fraud." 

"People like me?" 

"Very smart people. Oh, we have more than this." Colson gestured at the images on the television. "Now, obviously, I don't know everything, but I do have a right to, as does everyone else." 

"Anything we can say to stop you?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer. 

"Believe me, I've tried," Vogler said, apparently not very happy about the whole thing. 

"And anything you or Doctor Jackson say will be of no use either," Colson declared. "It's way past time that world knows the truth, and I intend to see that happen. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got a lot of work to do. Those twenty-four hours are passing quickly." 

Knowing that the man wouldn't listen to anything they had to say, Daniel and Sam left. As they exited the building and headed for their rental car, Sam got a call from Julia Donovan. Apparently, a camera crew staking out the Seattle office had taken footage of Daniel and Sam entering. Though Julia didn't know who Daniel was, she'd recognized Sam and wanted to know what was going on. During the incident with the Prometheus, Julia had been given an agreement that, if something big was going to break, she'd be called first. She apparently wanted to make sure that happened. The woman had been made to sign a nondisclosure agreement about what she knew, so she could not legally reveal anything herself. Sam assured her that she would be the one they'd called first when they were ready to go public with something. 

The moment Sam ended the call, Daniel revealed the unpleasant discovery he had just made. He'd checked the messages on his cell phone and found that he had thirteen from Emmett Bregman, the noisy reporter who'd made the documentary about the Stargate Program. 

The revelation made Sam sigh. How much worse was this day going to get? She started the red sports car and backed out of the parking space. 

Daniel put away his phone, having no intention of returning Bregman's calls. "So, what now?" 

"To quote a man I know and love, I have no idea." 

That got a smile out of Daniel. 

Sam headed for the parking lot exit. "Obviously, we can't do what Alec is demanding. It would cause pandemonium. There have already been incidents." 

"Was he right about us trying to make him look like a fraud?" 

"I can't say for sure, but, if he publically reveals what he showed us and any other proof he has, we may have no choice but to make it appear to be fake." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

It was only minutes to the deadline, and the eyes of the world were on Alec Colson. SG-1 and Jack were in the briefing room, standing before the TV, waiting to see what the billionaire would reveal. 

Daniel was looking through some files. "I'd like to know what all he has," he said. 

Sam stared at the screen thinking about that. "Well, he's gotta have something more significant than pictures," she replied, looking at Daniel. 

"I'm going over government contracts assigned to Colson's companies over the last few years," Daniel said. "I haven't got through them all yet, but there's quite a few loosely related to R&D of alien technologies that we procured off-world." 

Jack turned up the volume on the television. 

"We'll now head to Colson Industries," Julia Donovan was saying. 

The image switched to Colson holding another press conference. 

"Welcome, and thank you for coming," he said. 

Sam looked at her watch. "Twenty-four hours to the minute." 

"Yesterday, I told you of our belief in the existence of intelligent life beyond our planet," Colson stated. "I also told you that we believe several governments, including our own, have known about this and have been concealing the information for quite some time now. Yesterday, I challenged those governments to come clean, reveal the truth. We got only silence, which gives me no choice but to present to you what evidence I have. How do I know for sure that alien life really does exist? Ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing." 

And that's when he revealed his proof, proof that no one at the SGC had been prepared for. The four people in the briefing room stared, shocked, as an Asgard was brought into the room. 

Jack turned from the TV and faced SG-1. "Well, I'd call that something." 

The conference was ended quickly, Colson refusing to answer any of the questions people had begun to ask, merely saying that this was not the extent of what he had to reveal. 

"Okay, how the hell did he get hold of an Asgard?" Jack asked. 

"I don't know, sir," Sam replied. "Perhaps one was on a mission here and, somehow, Colson's people captured it, though I don't know how they could have prevented it from beaming back aboard its ship." 

"We need to get hold of the Asgard and see what's going on," Jack said. "Then we need to figure out how we're going to dig ourselves out of this hole." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

According to Thor, the Asgard were unaware of any of their race currently being on Earth. Daniel wasn't sure that really meant anything, however. In his office with Sam, he commented that Loki had been conducting experiments for years without the High Council knowing about it. 

Sam had a suspicion, though, that what they saw wasn't a real Asgard. She pointed out that it never spoke and that Colson had wrapped things up very quickly after revealing the alien, not taking any questions. To her, it had seemed as if he didn't want the alien examined too closely. She stated that images of little grey aliens had been commonplace on Earth for years, that it was even possible Colson had a picture of an Asgard. 

"So, not a real Asgard?" Daniel asked. 

"No Asgard we know would allow himself to be used that way," Sam replied. 

Daniel had to agree with that. "It did look a little vacant." 

Sam nodded, then the nod changed to a shake of her head. "Still, as much as he wants the whole truth, I don't think Colson would perpetrate a hoax to get it." 

"Then what was it?" 

Sam's head shook again. "I don't know." She sighed. "Regardless, I'm really wondering what else he has. I mean, this was big. What could be bigger?" 

"I have a feeling we're going to find out, if we can't do anything about this." 

Daniel and Sam continued digging into Colson's government contracts and discovered something that led them to an interesting conclusion. In the briefing room, they told Jack and Teal'c what they'd determined, that the Asgard they saw on TV was a clone created by one of Colson's biotech research companies from a copy of Asgard DNA that was given to them for sequencing in an effort to help the Asgard's cloning problem. The research company hadn't known it was alien DNA. It was meant to be a blind study, but, apparently, they took their research farther than the contract specified. This explained why it was that the Asgard did not speak. Though their DNA is programmed to grow a clone to maturity in only three months, the clone is essentially an empty shell until an existing consciousness is transferred into it. 

"It did not speak because it was not capable," Teal'c stated. 

"Exactly," Sam responded. "They probably spent what time they had with it teaching it how to walk." 

"Well . . . the Pentagon has lost all patience," Jack said, closing the file he'd been handed. 

"What are they gonna do?" Daniel asked. 

"They want us to put a stop to it." 

The next question was from Sam. "How?" 

"We're calling in a marker." Jack smiled at the look of confusion on the faces of the other three people. He looked at his watch, appearing to be waiting for something. "Yep, callin' in a marker." Jack looked back over his shoulder. Daniel was about to ask what Jack was looking for when Thor beamed in. 

"Greetings," the Asgard said. 

"Ah!" Jack said, gesturing a hand toward the Asgard. "Running a little late, aren't you, Thor?" 

"On the contrary, O'Neill. I have arrived at precisely the time that was agreed upon." 

Jack looked down at his watch, tapping the face. "Maybe it's time for a new battery." He returned his attention to the Asgard. "So, is everything all set?" 

"Yes. The clone has been located. At the chosen time, it will be removed from the laboratory it is being kept in, as will all of the computers containing data regarding its creation." 

"Sweet. I'd love to see the looks on the faces of anybody who's in the room when all that stuff vanishes before their eyes." 

"Okay, so that will prevent Colson from showing it again and letting anyone take a better look at it, but what about the fact that it's already been shown on TV?" Daniel asked. 

"We've got a plan for that, too," Jack said, "with some more help from Thor here." 

"I am willing to assist you however I am able, O'Neill. We owe a great debt to all of you," Thor turned to Daniel, "especially Doctor Jackson. Our scientists have determined that your DNA will very likely give us the answer we need to correct the problem we have with cloning degradation." 

"Wow. That's great news," Daniel said. 

Sam smiled. "It sure is." 

"Yes. We owe the future of our race to you." 

The plan was explained to SG-1. 

"Sir, I have to say that I'm not very happy about my part in this," Sam stated. 

"Why's that?" Jack asked. 

"Because, sir, I respect Alec Colson. You're asking me to go on national television and discredit him, claim that he was lying about everything, creating a hoax, which he wasn't. Yes, it is true that the world shouldn't be told about everything, but Colson is right about one thing. He does have the right to want the truth." 

"I have the right to want a vacation home in the Caribbean, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get one. Yeah, we're gonna call the man a fraud when he isn't one, but better that than what will happen if the truth is revealed to the world. This is what we've got to do, and that comes straight from the president." 

Sam sighed. "Yes, sir." 

Jack looked at Daniel. "You got any objections?" 

"Just the same ones as Sam, although I have to admit that Colson did get himself into this. He knew that we'd try to discredit everything he revealed. I just wish that he'd reconsidered before he committed himself." 

Jack shrugged. "He took on the big boys, and, now, he's going to pay the price." 

"This could seriously damage his company," Sam said, still not happy. "His reputation will never recover." 

"I've got a question," Daniel said. "What are we going to say his motive was? Someone wouldn't create such a hoax without a motive." 

"We haven't figured that one out yet," Jack admitted. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Sam straightened the jacket of her dress blues. In a few minutes, she'd be giving an interview on Julia Donovan's program. She knew that, by now, Thor had beamed away the clone and all evidence of its existence, except for the TV broadcast. That final piece of evidence would be up to her to take care of, with some help from the Asgard. 

Daniel had offered to go with Sam for moral support, but she chose to go alone. She wasn't in the mood for company, not even his. She felt terrible about this and wished there was another way. But orders were orders, and she'd carry them out. But there was one thing she would not do: she would not say outright that Colson was wrong. She would not counter his truth with a lie. 

All too soon, Sam was before the cameras. Julia introduced her, giving some of her credentials. 

"We're all very eager to finally hear some reaction from Washington regarding the revelation made by Alec Colson," the reporter said. 

"Well, first of all, I can assure people that, if aliens really existed and were visiting the planet, we would know about it." 

"So, are you saying his claims have no merit? We all saw an alien on live television." 

"Yes, well, Hollywood's been helping us see things on TV for a long time now." 

"Are you saying that the alien wasn't real?" Julia questioned. 

"It depends on what you mean by real." 

That's when Sam unveiled what they hoped would put the authenticity of Colson's alien into question. Thor beamed a hologram of himself onto the stage, which Sam claimed was the result of experiments with 3D technology. 

"Wow, that looks just like the alien Alec Colson introduced to us," Julia said. 

Thor spoke. "Greetings, people of Earth." 

"That's amazing. He looks so real." 

"Though I look real, I have been created through the use of advanced holographic technology," the Asgard announced, as if answering her. 

"That's just incredible." 

Sam waved her hand through the hologram, making the image flicker. "It's just a projection. You'll probably be seeing technology like this in theme park rides in a few years." She looked at the hologram. "Goodbye." 

"Goodbye," it said back to her, then disappeared. 

"Well, I have to say that was quite a surprise, Colonel Carter," Julia said. "It would certainly explain what Alec Colson revealed in that press conference. I'm sure you've given everyone a lot of food for thought. If what Alec Colson showed the world was, indeed, a hologram, can you explain what his motives were?" 

Sam hesitated before replying. "I'm sorry, but I am not at liberty to discuss that. I can only believe that he felt he had no choice but to do what he did." 

Julia nodded. "I understand. Colonel Carter, is what we've seen and heard here today our government's official response to Alec Colson's claims that there is alien life out there in the galaxy?" 

"There will likely be other announcements made by the White House." 

"All right. Thank you for coming, Colonel Carter." 

"You're welcome." 

Sam left the stage. She waited around for the show to end. Julia Donovan came to her, and, together, they watched the tape that had been made of the show. 

"Not quite the exclusive I had in mind," the reporter said, "but it'll still do huge numbers." 

Sam was disgusted by the remark. "You're hilarious. After everything you've been through, you still care about ratings." 

Julia ignored the remark. "How did you do it? I've seen visual effects before, Sam. I mean, this was some sort of alien technology, wasn't it?" 

"I can't discuss it. Are we done here?" 

"Yes. It's going to be interesting to see what comes of this and if Colson's got any more aces up his sleeve." 

Sam was on her way to her rental car when her cell phone rang. 

"Carter," she answered. 

"Sam, it's Alec Colson." 

"How did you get this number?" 

"Oh, I have my sources. I just wanted to call to tell you that I watched the broadcast, and you did a fine job of publicly discrediting me." 

Guilt assailed Sam. "I'm sorry. I was following orders." 

"Yeah, I know. You're not the kind of person to want to do something like that, although you did a bang up job of not actually lying while you were making me look like a fraud. The hologram was beautiful, by the way. What alien technology did you use to create it?" 

Sam sighed. "Alec." 

"I know. You can't answer that. I have to tell you, Sam, that I won't give up. I promise you, one way or another, the world is gonna learn the truth. I'm presently on a plane to D.C. I know a lot of people aren't going to listen to me, but I'm going to talk anyway." 

Alec ended the call. Sam closed her phone with another sigh and got in her car, wondering what would come next.

* * *

I know that some of you are probably wondering what happened to Affinity. Well, in this universe, there is no Affinity because The Trust has been taken care of. Also, Teal'c is not living in the same apartment as Krista since his search for an apartment was delayed. Yes, I know that there wasn't a lot of differences in Covenant in this chapter, but be patient. That truly begins in the next one. Oh, and I hope that those of you who like Jack/Janet enjoyed what I put in this chapter. Ah, poor Jack. The guy just can't seem to catch a break . . . or can he? ;-D 


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

Sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of Jack's desk, Daniel scribbled something in his notebook. He looked up at Jack. The man was in his dress blues, waiting for Thor, who would be going with him to a meeting with the president soon.

"You know, Sam is really not happy about what she had to do."

"Yes, I am aware of that, Daniel, but it had to be done. Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to. When she gets back, take off for a couple of hours or so and chill her out."

Just then, Thor beamed into the chair next to Daniel's.

"Greetings," he said. "I have spoken with the High Council, and we have decided that, to show our appreciation for all your aid, the Asgard wish to present your president with a token of our appreciation."

Jack smiled. "Really? You want to give the president a gift?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's really nice of you guys. What kind of gift were you thinking of getting him?"

"We do not know what would be appropriate. I am to ask your opinion on this matter."

"Hmm. Well, a handmade pullover sweater might be nice, keep the pres warm during those cold D.C. winters."

"The Asgard do not knit, O'Neill."

"You should try it sometime. I've heard it's very relaxing." Thor did not respond. "Okay, so no knitted products." Jack thought about it for a few seconds. "Umm . . . how about a hyperdrive for the Prometheus?"

"That is something I must discuss with the High Council."

"Thor, come on! You said you wanted to get something nice for the president."

Just then, Sam came in.

"Hey, Carter," Jack greeted. "So, what do you think? Wouldn't a brand new hyperdrive for the Prometheus be a great gift for the president?"

Sam blinked. "Excuse me, sir?"

"The Asgard want to show their appreciation for all our help," Daniel explained.

"Oh. Um, Alec Colson called me. He said that he wasn't going to give up, which leads me to believe that he's definitely got something else to reveal."

Daniel nodded. "We think that he may have fragments of downed Goa'uld ships recovered from the Antarctic. A subsidiary of his was involved in the salvage and the clean up."

"Are we just going to keep trying to discredit the man? I mean, aren't we the ones a little delusional to think that we could cover up an attack of this scale?"

"What's the alternative?" Jack asked.

"How about tell the truth?"

The others stared at Sam in surprise. Daniel and Jack exchanged a look.

"I mean to Colson," Sam clarified. "Look, I know he's been profiled and deemed a security risk, and, obviously, that's an accurate assessment, but what have we got to lose at this point? He's already trying to go public. Let's show him why it's so important to keep the secret. Besides, think of the benefits of having a man with his resources on our side."

"Well, Thor and I are meeting with the president in five minutes," Jack said. "I'll bring it up."

"Five minutes?" Sam questioned in surprise.

Jack smiled. "Oh, yeah." He began buttoning his jacket.

At that moment, he and Thor beamed away.

"Right," Sam murmured. She looked at Daniel, who just shrugged.

The archeologist got to his feet and approached her. "How are you doing?"

"Feeling really guilty. I listened to the radio. A lot of people are already dragging Alec over the coals. Theories are flying all over the place about why he'd create such a scam. There's no doubt that Alec will lose his government contracts over this, and it's very possible that he'll lose a lot of private ones as well. He gambled everything on this, and he's losing."

"I know. Maybe if he agrees to drop this whole thing and work with us instead of against us, we can help him salvage something. Like you said, having someone with his resources on our side would be a big benefit." Daniel put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on. I'm betting you haven't eaten. Let's go to the commissary."

Though she wasn't really feeling hungry, Sam went with him. She just picked at her food.

"You like him, don't you," Daniel said, watching her.

"He's a good man. He's been through a lot. He lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash when he was only twenty-four. It was because of that that he started Colson Aviation. He wanted to do all he could to make flying as safe as possible. From that beginning, he built an empire. He really is a self-made millionaire, _billionaire_. I have a great deal of respect for him and his ideals. Actually, in some ways, he's like you. He sticks to his principles and won't back down, no matter who's against him."

"Did you . . . ever go out with him?"

Sam smiled. "Are you jealous, Daniel?"

"No . . . well, okay, maybe a little."

Sam leaned over the table and kissed him. "Well, you have no reason to be. Yes, Alec did ask me out, but I said no. I wasn't interested in him like that. And, even if I had been, that was in the past. I happen to be crazy in love with a man whom I admire and respect far more than I ever could Alec Colson."

Daniel smiled. "Oh? Who's that?"

Sam grinned mischievously. "Nobody you know."

Daniel's smile turned a bit wicked. "Oh, really." He got up and moved around the table to sit beside her. Then his hand went under the table. His fingers began drawing circles on the inside of her knee, a place he knew always turned her on. "I bet I could make you tell me who he is," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, I bet you could," she breathed.

Daniel grinned. "How about if we go to our quarters, and I torture you for the information?"

"Okay," she agreed weakly.

They grabbed their trays and threw the remainder of their meals away, then left the commissary. A few minutes later, they were falling upon their bed, kissing passionately. Daniel already had Sam's top and bra off and was attacking her breasts with his mouth.

"If anyone knew we were doing this while on duty, we'd get in trouble," Sam panted.

"Actually, we're not on duty right now. Jack told me to take off a couple of hours with you and chill you out when you got back. He knew you weren't happy about what you had to do." Daniel slid his hand between them to the juncture of her thighs, making Sam moan. "So, technically, I'm following orders."

Sam pulled his head up. "I've got news for you, Daniel. There is definitely no 'chilling' going on here. Just the opposite, in fact."

"I decided to put my own interpretation on the order."

"Hmm. I really like your interpretation," Sam said with a smile. Then she captured his mouth in a scorching kiss.

Sam found that Daniel was very good at torture. There was more than one time during their lovemaking when she was begging him to stop teasing her and put an end to the exquisite torment. He eventually answered her pleas and sent her rocketing into orbit . . . more than once.

Afterwards, they both lay still in recovery. Daniel turned on his side and gazed down at her.

"So, have you had enough? Will you tell me all your secrets now?"

"Mmm. I'll never have enough of that. Besides, you already know all my secrets, or at least the most important ones."

"Hmm. Well, in that case, I'll have to continue the torture just on principle."

"Oh, I am soooo scared," Sam said in a mock terrified voice.

Daniel smiled with a wicked glint in his eyes. "And so you should be," he said before swooping down on her mouth.

--------------------------------------------------

With a gasp, Daniel awakened, his body shaking. For several seconds, he lay still as his pulse and respiration slowed. He looked over at Sam, who was sleeping beside him. Daniel glanced at the clock, seeing that they'd been asleep for a couple of hours.

Just then, the phone rang, waking Sam up. Daniel answered it and had a brief conversation with the caller.

"Thanks. We'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up the phone.

"What's up?" Sam asked, rising to a sitting position.

"Jack called. The president has agreed to let us tell Colson about the program, the Goa'uld, and anything else we feel is necessary. He's going to be brought here."

"Good."

"The president doesn't want anyone to know where Colson is, so Thor's going to arrange transportation. We need to get to the briefing room."

Sam got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to use the toilet and get dressed. She picked up her scattered clothes along the way. When she came back out, she found Daniel sitting fully dressed on the bed, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"I had a dream, Sam."

"What did you see?" The look in his eyes told her it was bad even before he replied.

"We have to stop Colson. If we don't, it will be a catastrophe."

--------------------------------------------------

Alec Colson paced the confines of the lounge on his private jet. He'd spent hours talking to people in D.C., telling them that, if they didn't recant their statements and come clean, he'd counter with revealing the rest of the proof he had. Most of the time, he was met with claims that they didn't know what he was talking about or the equivalent of slammed doors in his face. Alec knew that they couldn't threaten to prosecute him for revealing classified information. Doing so would prove that he was telling the truth. Brian was worried they'd do something else, like get rid of him and everyone else who knew what he did. Alec didn't know how likely that was, but the possibility wasn't going to scare him off.

"Tomorrow, we're going to blow the lid off everything, Brian," Alec declared. He turned to his best friend. "Two o'clock, we go live with the pictures, pieces of the alien ship, everything we've got."

"Alec! You're going to get us killed!" Brian exclaimed.

"If they try, they'll be proving that I was telling the truth. Even if they made it look like an accident, there would be suspicions."

"Which wouldn't matter to us if we're dead."

"Relax, Brian. Nothing's going to happen to us."

In the next instant, Alec found himself no longer on his plane but in some kind of conference or briefing room. He gave a little start. Then he saw what was beside him, and he started a second time. It was an alien like the one his people had cloned.

"Uh. . . . Okay. What just happened?" A voice behind him made him turn to see Daniel and Sam walking toward him.

"Well, in layman's terms, we beamed you up and then down again," the archeologist replied, sharing a look and a smile with Sam.

Alec looked around the room. "Where am I?"

"Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado," Sam answered. "You know Daniel, of course."

Colson shook the archeologist's hand. "Yeah. Hi."

Sam gestured at Thor. "And this is Thor."

"Greetings," the Asgard said.

"Ah, so this is a real one," Colson said, fascinated.

"Yep," Sam confirmed.

"What happened to the clone?"

"It will become a host to an Asgard consciousness whose physical body is failing," Thor replied.

That statement created all kinds of questions in Alec's mind, but he was feeling a little overwhelmed, so all he said was, "Okay," smiling at the wonder of it all.

"Now, I must take my leave. General O'Neill said he will see you all tomorrow." The Asgard beamed away.

Reacting with a sound of surprise at seeing the alien vanish before his eyes, Alec turned back to the other two people in the room.

"I want to show you something," Sam said. She walked up to the button for the blast shield and pressed it. As the shield raised, Alec joined her at the window and stared at the sight that was revealed. He then looked at Sam questioningly.

"We call it a Stargate," she said.

Alec gazed at the huge ring. "What does it do?"

"It allows us to almost instantaneously travel to other planets, even other galaxies."

"You're joking."

"No, I'm quite serious."

Alec smiled and let out a laugh of delight. "Amazing. How does it work?"

Sam explained the workings of the gate.

"This is incredible," he said. "So, where did it come from?"

Sam smiled and looked at Daniel. "I'll let Daniel tell you that."

And so Daniel did, telling Colson about the Ancients, the Goa'uld, the revolt in Ancient Egypt, and the discovery of the gate.

"Then you were right," the billionaire said, "about the pyramids and aliens."

"Yes, I was right, though you don't know how many times I've wished that I wasn't."

Alec shook his head. "This is all so much to take in."

"There's more, a lot more," Sam said. "We've been doing more than just exploring the galaxy during these years. We've also been fighting a galactic war against a species that would happily wipe us all off the face of the Earth."

Daniel and Sam told Alec the whole brutal truth about the battle against the Goa'uld, the depth of their evil and their thirst for power, the billions of humans who were enslaved by them, the billions more who had died at their hands. Alec listened to it all mostly in silence, asking only a few questions.

Alec stroked his cheek thoughtfully. "And these other aliens, the little gray ones."

"The Asgard," Daniel said.

"They seem friendly. Obviously, they're friends of yours. Can't they do something about these Goa'uld?"

"The Asgard and the Goa'uld have been enemies for millennia, but they're not at war. They've been maintaining a fragile state of peace for a long time now. Though the Asgard's technology is greater than that of the Goa'uld, they can't afford to get into a war with them. They've been dealing with another enemy that has virtually decimated them. They're not strong enough to fight the Goa'uld anymore, a fact that, fortunately, the Goa'uld don't know. If the System Lords ever found out, we'd all be in very big trouble."

"And these ones you call Ancients?"

Daniel and Sam shared a glance.

"The Ancients will not involve themselves in the lives of lower forms of life," the archeologist replied, "and that includes us."

"So, you're saying that we're on our own in this."

Sam shook her head. "No, not entirely. We do have friends out there."

"Many of the Jaffa are rebelling against the Goa'uld and have become our allies," Daniel said. "The Asgard have helped us even though they can't join the fight directly, partly by sharing advanced technology with us. We've gained other allies as well."

"But the safety of Earth is still in our hands, and it's an ongoing battle that has almost been lost more than once," Sam said.

Alec was silent for a moment. "This is quite a story you've told me. Of course, I haven't seen any proof, well, except for that beaming trick."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other again.

"Okay, how would you like to take a little trip?" Sam asked.

Alec's eyes gleamed with interest. "A trip?"

"Through the Stargate."

The billionaire grinned. "Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Hell, yes!"

Sam nodded. "Okay. We'll head out first thing in the morning." She looked at the time. "It's late. You should get some sleep We've prepared a VIP room for you."

"You know, Brian is probably freaking out. You guys . . . beamed me out right in front of him. Will you let me call him?"

Sam nodded. "But you can't tell him anything about this or where you are. The call will be monitored, and if you utter a word about any of this--"

Alec held up his hand. "I won't say a word . . . at least not over the phone. I don't want to mess up my chance to go through the Stargate."

Alec had been right about Brian. The man had obviously been frantic. The billionaire assured him that everything was fine and told him he'd be back in a couple of days.

Early the next morning, Alec got a knock on the door of his quarters. He called for the person to enter. Sam came in, outfitted for off-world travel.

"Ready?" she asked.

Alec looked at her clothing. "Whoa. Look at you."

"Yeah, Soldier Sam."

"Ah." Alec noticed the bundle of clothing under her arm. "Oh, uh, I get a uniform, too?"

"Yep." Sam tossed him the clothes.

"All right!" he said, grinning. He got to his feet and headed for the bathroom. "You can stay while I change."

"No thanks. I'll meet you in the gate room."

"Ah," Alec said in understanding. "You've got a boyfriend."

"Yes, I do, but, even if I didn't, I wouldn't stay."

"He's a lucky man, whoever he is."

"I'm the lucky one, Alec. I definitely got the better end of the deal."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Sam. You're a remarkable woman. Any man would be lucky to have you."

"Thank you," Sam responded, "but there's a lot you don't know."

"So, who is this lucky guy?"

"Daniel."

Alec's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really? I'd never have guessed that. I wouldn't have thought he was your type."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Alec saw the frown. "Calm down. I didn't say that as an insult to either you or Doctor Jackson. He seems like a good man, and he's clearly very intelligent. I just pictured you with someone who is more . . . ambitious and adventurous."

"You're right that Daniel isn't ambitious, but, though he may not be adventurous in the way you mean, he's gone on adventures you couldn't even dream of. He is an amazing person."

"Okay, Sam," Alex said with a small nod. "I'm sorry I made you feel like you needed to defend him. You obviously love him very much."

"More than words can say."

"Then I'm happy for you. Well, I'd better get dressed. Don't want to be late for my first trip through the Stargate."

A few minutes later, Alec entered the gate room. Sam was already there, standing near the foot of the ramp. The inner ring of the Stargate was spinning. Several of the things Sam had called chevrons were lit up.

Just then, a seventh chevron locked in place, and, with a tremendous roar, a blast of what looked like water erupted from the Stargate, making Alec flinch backwards, his hands instinctively covering his face. He then stared in fascination at the rippling surface of the wormhole.

Carter smiled at him and started up the ramp.

Utterly amazed, Alex followed her up. "So, uh . . . where are we going?"

"P4X-650. We have an off-world base there."

"And how far away is that?"

"Six hundred and forty light years."

They stopped at the event horizon.

That blew Alec away. "Really."

"Let's go."

With a feeling of excitement and a bit of trepidation, Alec walked with Sam into the event horizon. Before he knew it, they were walking out the other side into what looked like another underground complex. Alec looked back at the gate as it shut down, then gazed at Sam with amazement.

"Didn't feel a thing," he said.

"You were demolecularized."

An officer walked up to them. "Welcome to the Alpha site."

Sam and Alec stepped down from the Stargate platform.

Sam introduced the men. "Alec Colson, Captain Sheffield."

The two men shook hands.

Alec looked around. "Well it's . . . it's nice."

"Our last Alpha Site was destroyed in an attack," Sam explained. "We decided to build this one inside a mountain, like the SGC."

"This is all a bit spartan, but it's our home away from home," Sheffield said.

"I-I guess I was just expecting something a little more . . . I don't know . . . otherworldly," Alec responded as he followed Sam over to the far wall.

She ran a keycard through the door lock, and a pair of blast doors began to open. Alec wasn't watching, his eyes looking about the gate room. Still not really looking where he was going, he took a few steps forward with Sam. Then he turned around and came to a sudden stop upon seeing what lay before him.

"Ho. . . . Now that . . . that's more like it," he said. They'd entered what looked like a storage room. Beyond it, visible through a large doorway, was an aircraft unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"It's called the F-302," Sam told him as they walked toward it. "Alien-human hybrid."

"So, this is what the MEC's were for."

"Yeah. Thanks to you, it's capable of leaving the atmosphere and returning. We used a number of these to defend Earth five months ago."

Alec reached up and touched the craft.

"This is just one of the many advancements we've made as a result of technology procured through the Stargate," Sam said. She smiled. "You wanna take a ride?"

Alec smiled and nodded. There was nothing he wanted more at that moment.

When Sam decided to take Alec up for a ride, she had hoped that, by the time they landed, she would have succeeded in changing his mind about revealing what he knew to the world. She tried to impress upon him the extent of the threat Earth faced, how lucky they'd been so far not to be destroyed, and that Earth's population wasn't ready for that knowledge, a fact that she now knew for a certainty, thanks to Daniel's vision of the future. He hadn't told her what he'd seen, just that, if the truth got out, the Earth would be doomed.

Sam decided to let Alec take the controls for a while, which turned out to be a big mistake. He deliberately put the craft into a steep dive, nearly over-stressing it and causing multiple alarms to sound off in the cockpit. Sam was forced to take back control. Angry, she landed the 302 and taxied it into the hanger.

As the cockpit opened, she and Alec took off their helmets.

"Well, that was reckless," Sam said, still angry.

"Ah, the 302 can handle it. I know. I may not have known its name but I helped you build it, remember?"

Sam got out of her seat. "It was a joy ride. I took you up for a little fun." She climbed out of the cockpit and onto the wing.

"This isn't a game, Sam! What you guys are doing up here, this is life and death, for . . . for all of us."

"We know that."

"It wasn't much fun feeling out of control like that, was it?"

Sam glared at him. "You don't have to make your point with my life."

"Oh, come on! We were never gonna crash."

Sam jumped off the wing and strode silently across the hanger, Alec hurried to catch up with her.

"All right, I'm sorry," he said. "Maybe I did step over the line a little. Look, Sam. I don't know what all this has been for, but if you think that any of it is gonna prevent me from telling the world what they have a right to know, you're dead wrong."

Sam stared at him. "No, Alec, you're the one who's dead wrong if you think that telling the world about everything won't cause irreparable damage. Come on. We're going back to Earth."

After changing out of their flight gear, they returned to the SGC and went up to the briefing room, where Daniel was waiting. He caught Sam's eyes, and she gave him a brief shake of her head.

"Okay, it's obvious that the reason why you brought me here and told me everything was to illustrate the magnitude of this whole situation and hope that it would convince me to back off," Alec said. "Well, it didn't work. I'm more determined than ever that the rest of the world know about this. They have a right to know about what's out there and what we've accomplished. Intergalactic travel. Advanced alien civilizations. Humans living on other worlds. I do realize that there may be bad guys out there, too."

"You have no idea how bad," Daniel said.

"But in the end, we have to believe in humanity. I mean, who knows? This . . . might bring us all together as a planet."

"If we knew it would play out that way, then. . . ." Sam's voice trailed off. She wished that it really could be that way.

Alec studied her face. "You're afraid that knowing about the Stargate would fracture the world more than it already is."

"Yeah, not just stop us fighting the Goa'uld, but end things for good. We've seen it happen on other planets like Earth. In one case, public revelation of the Stargate caused an apocalyptic world war."

"Oh, that would be the ultimate irony, wouldn't it. You secretly save the world from destruction at the hands of alien invaders only for us to destroy ourselves out of fear, after the fact."

"Change your mind?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Not really. I don't think it would happen."

"You're wrong," Daniel said in a hard voice. Alec turned to him. "You know that planet Sam mentioned? I was there when it happened. I lived through the whole thing. I saw two nations virtually destroy each other. I walked through the aftermath, saw the expressions of despair and anguish on the faces of the survivors. And the whole time, I felt the guilt of knowing that if we had never stepped through their Stargate, if they had remained ignorant of what it was, that war might never have happened. I've lived through that once, and I will not let it happen again. I won't let Earth suffer a similar fate."

Alec stared at the man before him. Gone was the soft-spoken archeologist. It his place was a man whose blue eyes were fierce and hard as steel, who radiated an air of determination. The transformation surprised Alec. He realized that there was a whole lot more to Daniel Jackson than what he first believed.

"All right. Why are you so certain something like that would happen here?" he asked.

"Because I saw it."

"You saw it? I don't understand."

"Something happened to me over two years ago. You know those Ancients we told you about? Well, I became one, not actually an Ancient, but I ascended to the same higher plane of existence that they're on. I'm not going to go into why or how it happened, just that I didn't do it on my own. I had help from one of them."

Alec gave a disbelieving laugh. "You can't expect me to believe that."

"Believe it, Alec," Sam said. "It really happened. I saw it with my own eyes."

Alec turned back to Daniel. "Okay, so then why are you here? You look human to me."

"Remember what I said about the Ancients, that they don't get involved with the lives of lower forms of life? That is one of their highest laws. I broke that law when I was among them because I couldn't sit back and do nothing while people I cared about were in danger. I was punished and made human again."

"All right. It's an interesting story, but what does that have to do with Earth being told the truth?"

"When I was returned to human form, I wasn't quite the same as I was before. I was left with certain abilities, one of which is the power to see the future."

"Oh, now, come on. This is going a little too far, don't you think?"

"It's the truth, Alec," Sam said.

Alec shook his head. "I'm sorry, but, while I do believe in aliens and a lot of the other things you've told me, this whole thing about Daniel ascending and gaining psychic--"

Alec gasped and stumbled backward as a small fireball suddenly burst to life in the air before him. It hovered there, defying gravity, its heat bringing perspiration to his brow. The billionaire's eyes lifted from it to Daniel, who stood behind it. The archeologist's expression was intense, the firelight eerily reflected in his glasses. After a few seconds, he lifted his hand and closed his fist. The fireball broke apart and vanished.

Daniel's gaze dropped to one of the chairs. It rolled across the floor and came to a stop in front of an open-mouthed Alec.

"I think you'd better sit down," Daniel said. "Or do you need more proof?"

"Personally, I think you should light his shoes on fire or something," said Jack from the doorway. "Just to make sure he doesn't think the fire was another hologram."

"Hey, Jack," Daniel greeted, not surprised. He'd sensed his friend's presence several seconds ago.

"You're back early, sir," Sam said.

"Yeah, well, when Daniel called and told me about his dream, I decided that hobnobbing with the president could wait." Jack looked at Daniel. "He sends his regards, by the way. He'd love for you to come and have a nice, uneventful visit for a change."

"Sounds good," Daniel responded. "We'll have to work something out."

Jack walked up to Alec and patted his shoulder. "Hello there, Colson. How ya doin'?" He pulled the chair and the man over to the conference table. "Now, why don't you sit down like a good boy and listen to Daniel here. I learned quite some time ago that ignoring what he has to say is not a wise move. Oh, I'm General Jack O'Neill, by the way," he held up two fingers, "two L's. I run this place."

Still feeling a bit stunned, Alec took a seat. The others did likewise.

"Okay, that was really quite something," the billionaire said, "but how do I know it wasn't done with advanced alien technology?"

Daniel lifted an eyebrow and turned to Jack, who shrugged.

"Be my guest," the general said. "Just don't singe him too badly. He's got to be kept in relatively good condition. Don't want him whining to the press that we mistreated him."

Daniel focused his gaze back on Alec.

"Okay, okay!" the man quickly exclaimed. "No more demonstrations please." He looked at Sam. "Is this real? He really did that?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, he did, and that wasn't even a fraction of what he can do."

"So, my advice to you is not to piss him off," Jack said.

Alec met Daniel's eyes, who stared back at him steadily. He still wasn't certain if he believed what they were claiming, but, if it was true, he'd be wise to listen. "Okay. You said you saw the future."

Daniel nodded. "I saw what would happen if you gave your proof to the world. It was a disaster. Investigations were mounted, and the U.S. government had no choice but to reveal everything. The knowledge that Earth was in constant peril from an evil, advanced race of aliens that could not only kill us but could also take control of our bodies and make us their slaves created chaos. The U.S. government was blamed for bringing this threat down on us, and all the other governments that know about the program were blamed as well because they kept the secret. There were riots, bombings of federal buildings. The U.S. had no choice but to declare martial law in many cities, as did a few other countries. Hostilities between the countries that had known about the gate and those that hadn't resulted in a dramatic rise in terrorism, especially in the U.S. Then something even worse happened." Daniel's eyes went to Sam and Jack. "I'm guessing that someone either smuggled a bomb into the SGC or rigged one of the Naquadah generators to overload."

"Oh no," Sam gasped, deeply shaken by the horrors the future held for them.

"The base was destroyed. I don't know what happened to us." Daniel turned back to Alec. "Maybe, in time, things would have settled down, but with the Stargate gone and all contact with our off-world allies lost, we knew nothing about what was going on out in the rest of the galaxy."

"What happened?" Jack asked, knowing that it was really, really bad.

"The Replicators. I didn't see why or how it happened. All I saw was Earth being overrun by Replicators, millions of them. They destroyed everything, slaughtered people by the tens of thousands."

"My God," Sam whispered.

"What are the Replicators?" Alec asked.

"An artificial lifeform. It's the enemy that has come close to destroying the Asgard. We've tangled with them several times, and they are an even deadlier threat than the Goa'uld. We developed a weapon to combat them, but, apparently, that won't be enough to save Earth, if our future unfolds like Daniel saw."

"And what if it doesn't happen like that? I'm not saying that I believe what Daniel is claiming, but, even if he really did have that vision, how can you be certain things will happen like that?"

"Because Daniel's visions always come true, _always_, unless we actively seek to change the course of events. I'd be dead now, if it wasn't for Daniel's precognitive abilities, as would a lot of other people. If he says something is going to happen, then it _will_ happen, if something isn't done to stop it."

"And what would stop it this time is you keeping your trap shut about what you know," Jack said.

Alec stared at all of them. "For all I know, this was all conceived to get me to change my mind."

"Dammit, Alec!" Sam exclaimed. "Are you so determined that the world know the truth that you're willing to gamble the lives of every human being on the face of this planet?"

"You want proof?" Daniel asked. "I'll give you proof."

"Daniel," Jack said, unsettled by the look on his friend's face. "What are you planning?"

"I'm planning on making sure the future I saw never happens."


	31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

For the first time, Alec felt a frisson of fear for his own safety.

"If you kill me, you'll only raise suspicions, make people believe that I might have been right," he declared.

"I have no intention of killing you, Mister Colson, even though I could do it in a way that any coroner would rule natural causes. Instead, I'm going to show you the future, or at least try to."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Daniel turned to her. "When Anubis took possession of you, you and I communicated telepathically with mental images rather than words. Since then, I've confirmed that I can telepathically speak with Teal'c, too, and I'm sure I also could with Jack. I've never tried with anyone else." Daniel's eyes fastened upon Alec. "I think it's time to see if I can do it with others."

"Are we talking about mind reading here?" Colson asked, still skeptical.

"No. Though I have sometimes sensed what Jack or someone else I know well is thinking, I can't pick actual thoughts out of people's heads. This is different. I can telepathically speak with some people and hear what they are mentally saying back to me. I guess, in a way, that is mind reading, since I'm hearing what they are thinking at me, but the thoughts you have in your head are safe from me. If I succeed in doing what I'm going to try, I will be . . . broadcasting to you the memories of what I saw in that vision. You will see what I did. I'll warn you, Mister Colson. It won't be a pleasant sight."

Alec felt his nervousness escalate. A voice inside him was telling him he should just listen to them and drop the whole thing, but Alec seldom listened to that voice.

"All right, let's go for it," he said. "Show me what you've got."

Daniel got to his feet and approached Alec. He sat in the chair next to the billionaire. He placed the palm of his hand on Alec's forehead and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Seconds passed. Alec didn't know quite what to expect, but, when it happened, he was not prepared for it. He heard a faint voice inside his mind, a voice that he recognized as Daniel's. Then, suddenly, he was being bombarded with images, violent flashes of sights and sounds, visions of chaos and destruction. He saw what Daniel had described, but it was a thousand times worse actually seeing it himself. And then things got worse still. He watched, horrified, as spider-like machines poured out of spaceships and overran everything and everyone, people dying in agony, structures decimated, thousands fleeing in terror only to be overtaken by the living machines, their bodies ravaged.

Alec cried out. He flung himself backwards. The chair he sat in toppled over, and he fell to the floor. Above him was Daniel, whose haunted eyes reflected the horror Alec had just witnessed.

"God," the billionaire choked out.

"Now you know why you can't give your proof to the world," Daniel said.

With Sam's help, Alec got to his feet, still feeling shaky. He picked up the chair and sat back down, running his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Daniel told him. He rubbed a hand across his forehead.

"Daniel, are you all right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. It was just a lot harder doing it with him than it is with you or Teal'c. It took a lot of effort and concentration to get through."

Alec stared at him. "How many times have you seen things like that?"

"I've seen a lot of terrible things since I gained this ability. I foresaw the war on Tegalus, the planet we told you about, but my warnings went unheeded, and I was unable to stop what happened. That isn't going to happen this time."

Alec sighed. "No. No, it isn't. You've convinced me. I won't go public with the evidence I have. In fact, I'll hand it all over to you so there's no chance that someone else will get their hands on it."

"Thank you, Alec," Sam responded in relief.

"There's something I need to know, though. Even if the truth doesn't come out, and most of what you showed me doesn't happen, can you be sure that attack by those things won't?"

"No, but at least we'll still be in a position to know what's going on out there," Daniel replied, "and we now know about the possible danger we face from the Replicators."

"Forewarned is forearmed," Jack remarked, "something Daniel has illustrated time and time again this past year."

"There is one problem," Sam said. "We've dealt with what Alec already showed the media, put enough doubt in the minds of people that most are going to accept it was a hoax, but what about the reason for it?"

"You're right," Alec said. "I have no motive for perpetrating such a hoax. People aren't going to accept it was a hoax without knowing why it was done. There will be investigations."

Jack thought about the dilemma. "Too bad you had to do this personally. If you'd kept your face off the TV, we could have arranged to make it look like it was a setup, that someone did this whole thing to ruin your company."

An expression dawned on the faces of Jack, Sam and Daniel all at the same time. They looked at each other.

"You think it would work?" Sam asked.

"I don't see why not," Daniel replied.

"Hell, look how popular those movies are," Jack said.

Alec looked back and forth at them. "What are you talking about?"

"Mission Impossible, Mister Colson," Jack replied, grinning. "Mission Impossible."

--------------------------------------------------

The press conference was held a few hours later. Alec Colson stood on the podium before dozens of reporters, Brian Vogler off to the side, standing beside Sam.

"The last time I was standing before you, I showed you what appeared to be proof that alien life does exist in the galaxy," Alec said. "Since then, claims were made that more proof would be given. I'm here to tell you that I have no proof to show you. That alien you and the rest of the world saw was a hologram, just like the one Colonel Carter here showed on Julia Donovan's show."

Loud murmuring arose among the press.

"Why did you do this, Mister Colson?" one man asked. "What was your reason?"

"I wasn't the one who did it."

"What do you mean?" asked another reporter.

"Up until a few hours ago, I was being held captive by an organization that wanted to destroy Colson Industries. This whole thing was a plot to drive my company's stocks down and ruin my reputation. They intended all along to make sure that the so-called evidence of alien life presented would subsequently be proven as a hoax. If the military hadn't figured out for themselves what that alien shown on TV really was, this organization would have arranged for it to be exposed."

"But you were right there, Mister Colson, personally making those claims and showing us the alien," a reporter pointed out.

"Ah, but was I really?"

Just then, two men dressed in military uniforms came into the room. Between them, his handcuffed arms being held firmly, was another Alec Colson.

The room erupted with excited voices.

"This is the Alec Colson you all saw," Alec said. "This man was given extensive plastic surgery in order to impersonate me. If it wasn't for our military, who figured out what was going on, he'd have continued the charade until Colson Industries was in shambles. Then he'd have snuck away, and I would most likely have been killed, the world being led to believe that I committed suicide."

"This is incredible," a woman said. "Can you give us the name of the organization that is responsible for this?"

Sam stepped up to the microphone. "Our investigation is still ongoing. We do not have all the answers yet, but we will continue to seek the individuals responsible for this and bring them to justice."

More reporters began asking questions. Alec held up his hands.

"That will be all for now. All I want to do right now is go home, rest, and be thankful that it's over."

"One more question, Mister Colson," a man said. "Do you or do you not believe in extraterrestrial life?"

Alec paused before replying. "The universe is too vast for me to believe that we are all alone here. I have not been secret with that belief, which is probably why this organization chose the form of attack that they did. I hope that, someday, we will travel beyond our solar system and meet other races who will seek friendship with us and help improve our way of life here on Earth."

Alec left the room, followed by Brian, Sam and the two military offices holding the fake Alec Colson. They all went to another room, and the door was closed. The officers released the arms of the man with Alec's face and uncuffed him. He reached under his shirt and pulled a device off his chest. Alec's image vanished to reveal Daniel.

"That was spectacular!" Alec exclaimed. "Those things you call mimic devices are a marvelous piece of technology. I'd love to have one of my own. I can think of more than one boring dinner party or function that I'd wished I could have sent someone else in my stead."

"Sorry. These things are dangerous," Daniel said, putting it in is pocket. "They've caused trouble for us more than once."

"So, is that it?" Brian asked. "It's over?"

"Not quite," Sam replied. "We're going to have to plant a lot of false evidence indicating that some mysterious organization was really behind all of this. That's already in the works. Of course, since the organization doesn't actually exist, we'll have to leave most of it a big mystery. There will have to be a few fake trials, of course."

"And you and I need to have a long talk with all the people who know the truth, Brian," Alec said, "especially the scientists who were involved in creating that clone."

"Every one of them will have to sign a nondisclosure agreement preventing them from saying anything about what they know."

"But our employees have already signed nondisclosures," Brian said. "It's company policy."

"Yes, but they'll be charged with treason, if they break these new ones," Alec responded.

"Hopefully, once the dust settles, everyone will turn their attention to other things in the news, and this will all be forgotten," Daniel said.

Alec held his hand out to the archeologist, who shook it. "Thank you for preventing me from making the worse mistake of my life." He glanced at Sam. "I think I understand now why she said what she did about you."

Daniel looked at Sam. "What's he talking about?"

"I'll tell you later." Sam turned to Alec. "We'll help you with any negative ramifications to your company that was caused by all of this. Now that you know about the program, we'll be coming to you with more projects, so we want your company to stay healthy."

Alec smiled. "I'll be looking forward to that. Colson Industries might go through a rough patch for a while, but we'll get through it and land on our feet." He noticed a deep frown on Brian's face. "Don't worry, Brian. Everything will be fine." He turned back to Daniel and Sam. "I've got one final question for you. If I'd still insisted on going forward with my plans to expose the truth, what would you have done?"

The two members of SG-1 shared a look.

"There would have been some off-world friends of ours who'd have had the pleasure of your company for a very, very long time," Daniel replied.

"Ah, I see. And while I was . . . permanently vacationing on another planet, you'd have cleaned the mess up, making it look like I ran off somewhere to escape the public embarrassment of the whole thing."

"Something like that."

A few minutes later, Daniel and Sam were leaving the building through a back door. The press were hanging around out front, and neither one of them could afford to be questioned, especially Daniel.

"So, what did Colson mean by what he said?" Daniel asked. "What did you tell him about me?"

They stopped at their car, and Sam put her arms around Daniel's waist. "Alec was showing interest in me again, so I told him that I had a boyfriend. He commented that my boyfriend was a lucky man."

"He's got that right," Daniel said, kissing her gently.

"I told him that I was the lucky one, that I'd gotten the better end of the deal."

Daniel's arms tightened around her. "Oh, I definitely wouldn't say that."

Sam smiled. "_I_ would." Then she kissed him.

They parted a few seconds later and got in the car, satisfied that another catastrophe had been averted.

--------------------------------------------------

Fifth walked down the hallway of the Replicator ship to the end. An opening appeared before him, and he stepped into the room beyond. He stared at the other human-form Replicator, whose back was turned to him.

"I do not understand your reasoning," he said.

"What confuses you?" the other Replicator asked.

"The weapon that was created by the humans and Asgard is deadly to us. Many of us have already fallen because of it. We are being hunted down and slaughtered by the Asgard, being forced to hide to survive. We must do something."

"I agree, as I have already said."

"Yet you say that we should not take action yet."

"The only action we could take is to make ourselves impervious to the weapon. We cannot do that without studying it. All Asgard ships and worlds are now armed with the weapon, which is fired the moment any Replicator is detected. We are unable to obtain a weapon to study. Our only hope would be to get the data from the humans. If we could go to Earth, it would have been possible that I could gain the knowledge through deception."

"How so?"

The Replicator turned and faced him. Fifth looked upon the features of Samantha Carter.

"You created me with the memories of Samantha Carter. Because of that, I know how she thinks, her strengths and weaknesses. I could have formulated a plan to trick her into helping us. But there is one standing in our way."

"Who?"

"The one named Daniel Jackson."

Fifth's face darkened in anger and hatred at the thought of the man he knew was loved by the real Sam. "He is nothing."

Replicator Carter smiled gently and stepped forward. "Your feelings for her are blinding you, Fifth. You must see beyond them. In her memories I have seen much about him. He possesses great power. Among those powers is the ability to sense what cannot be seen with the eyes. He would know of my treachery and stop me."

"Then we must kill him."

"No, for he also possesses great knowledge, knowledge that we could use. That knowledge is locked within his mind, but we could reach it. Once we had it, we would be unstoppable."

"What do you propose?"

"First, we must find another way to counter the weapon. It may take time, but we will succeed." Replicator Carter stepped up to Fifth and laid her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes with pleasure. "We must be patient," she said softly. "When the time is right, we will take Daniel Jackson and get the knowledge from him."

"And then he will die."

She smiled. "Yes. Then he will die."

Fifth also smiled. "And we shall rule."

Satisfied, Fifth left the room. After he was gone, the smile vanished from Replicator Carter's face.

"And _I_ shall rule," she murmured.

--------------------------------------------------

"So, I bet everyone is delighted that the Asgard agreed to give us a hyperdrive for the Prometheus," Daniel said to Sam as they walked down the corridor.

"You bet. It'll take a while to get it outfitted, but, once everything is up and running, we'll have the ability to travel throughout the galaxy without relying solely upon the gate network. Not only that, but we'll also be able to make large supply runs to Atlantis. I calculated that a trip there would take roughly eighteen days."

Daniel nodded. "If we didn't already have a way to get to Atlantis, I'd probably be begging Jack to let me hitch a ride on the first trip there."

Sam smiled. "And do you think he'd have let you go?"

"That I don't know. It doesn't really matter now."

They entered Daniel's office and sat down.

"So, when is Teal'c leaving?" Sam asked.

"Pretty soon, actually. He's looking forward to seeing Ishta. I understand that Rya'c is there, too."

"That should be a nice visit for him."

"Yeah, if he and Bra'tac can calm Ishta down. She's really going off about Moloc."

"Well, he is still sacrificing every female Jaffa that's born under his rule. I can understand why she's upset."

"Me too, but she can't fight him alone. She'll need the help of the other Jaffa in the Fifth Column."

Sam frowned. "Fifth Column?"

"Oh, yeah. That's, um, how the Jaffa rebellion is sometimes referring to itself these days. They got the name from us. A fifth column is a group of people that clandestinely undermines a larger group to which it's supposed to be loyal. The term originates from a radio address given in 1936 by Emilio Mola, a nationalist general during the Spanish Civil War."

"Well, it does fit."

"Yes, it does, although the Jaffa are not quite as clandestine as they might have been if not for. . . ."

"If not for you?"

Daniel made a face. "According to Bra'tac, many Jaffa are still rebelling in my name, or, rather, in Dan'yar's name, especially after they heard about what we did to Anubis and how I fought against him one on one. Finding out that I brought someone back from the dead didn't help much either. Sometimes, I really wish somebody would put a plug in the Jaffa grapevine."

Sam laughed. "Poor Daniel. I know you don't like the idea that the Jaffa are using you as a reason to rebel, but, as long as they don't go overboard and start worshiping you, if it will add to the size of the, uh, Fifth Column, then some good will come out of it."

"Yeah, I guess. Have you seen Jack today?"

"No, he got called back to Washington. You didn't know?"

"Uh uh. I've been pretty busy. So, what's that about?"

"I don't know, maybe about the Colson Industries stuff or the hyperdrive. Did you hear the latest about Alec?"

"What's that?" Daniel asked.

"He found out that Brian altered the books several months ago. Apparently, the company over extended itself. The only thing keeping it going was the stock prices."

"And, when they began to fall because of this whole thing about aliens. . . ."

"Yeah. Brian had no choice but to confess to Alec. But there's more. The Trust got to him."

"What? When?"

"Six months ago," Sam replied. "They found out about the Asgard Alec's company cloned. Then, a couple of weeks later, the events in Antarctica happened, and Alec got hold of all that stuff from it. The Trust started putting pressure on Brian because they knew he'd cooked the books. If we hadn't brought them down, there's no telling what they might have done when Alec decided to go public with what he had."

"They wouldn't have let him do it. If the program became public knowledge, they couldn't have taken control of it."

"Exactly."

"So, what's going to happen with Colson Industries?"

"We're taking care of it. Like I told Alec, his company's a valuable asset now, and we want to keep it going. Fortunately, stock prices are going back up."

"And Brian?"

"Alec's forgiven him. Alec admitted that he hasn't been paying as much attention to the business as he should have. He feels that he's responsible for what Brian believed he had to do to save the company. They've known each other since they were kids, best friends their whole lives. You don't throw something like that away."

"No, you don't." Daniel looked at his watch. "And, speaking of friendship, let's go see Teal'c off. Then we can have a late lunch together."

"Sounds good."

--------------------------------------------------

Jack returned to the SGC the next morning. He'd just gotten off the elevator and was heading for the control room when he bumped into Daniel.

"Hey, Jack."

"Hello, Daniel. How's it going?" he asked.

"Well, you know that Teal'c is returning this morning from Hak'tyl, right? This situation with Ishta is getting pretty bad. Teal'c and Bra'tac believe that the only way to eliminate all of the System Lords is to recruit as many Jaffa into the Fifth Column as possible. Now, only when their numbers are sufficient would it be possible to rise up and unilaterally destroy all the Goa'uld at once. Even then, this unknown Goa'uld controls the supersoldier army, which cannot be turned."

An incoming wormhole was announced over the PA, the alarm going off. Not pausing, Daniel continued speaking.

"So, even if the rebel Jaffa can someday take out the majority of the System Lords, there'd still be a massive war to fight. The problem is, though, Ishta doesn't wanna wait. Moloc is continuing to order the deaths of all female Jaffa born in his domain, and her underground railroad to Hak'tyl can't save them all."

Jack continued going straight, toward the control room, but Daniel turned right, toward the entrance to the gate room. The general changed directions and caught up to the archeologist, who was still talking, seeming obvious to what just happened.

"Even now, she's organizing a rebellion to overthrow Moloc. Now, Teal'c and Bra'tac are trying to convince her to see the . . ." he gestured toward the ceiling, "the bigger picture."

There was a brief pause, then Jack asked, "What was my question again?"

"Um, 'how's it going?'"

"It seemed so innocuous at the time."

Daniel and Jack entered the gate room just as Teal'c and Bra'tac came through.

"Fellas! How was the trip?" Jack asked.

Teal'c frowned deeply. "I have been betrayed by those I trusted most." He then strode out of the gate room.

"That good, eh?" Jack called after him.

"His mood is foul indeed," Bra'tac said. He nodded at Daniel and Jack. "Greetings. It is good to see you both."

"Bra'tac, what's wrong?" Daniel questioned.

"There was a complication."

"Ishta?" Jack inquired.

"She is well and as lovely as ever, O'Neill. The problem, I fear, lies with Rya'c."

That concerned Daniel. "Is he okay?"

"He is in love and plans to be married."

The Master Jaffa gave a slight shake of his head and a sound of disapproval, then left the gate room. Jack and Daniel just stood there, confused and surprised.

"Okay, that's . . . news," Jack remarked.

"Apparently, not good news."

"Yes, I got that impression as well."

"I guess we'll have to ask Teal'c what the problem is," Daniel said.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll invite him to a nice game of ping pong. We'll chat while we lob the ball back and forth."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

--------------------------------------------------

All things considered, maybe playing a game of ping pong with an angry Jaffa hadn't been one of Jack's brighter ideas--and he'd have the bruises to remind him of that fact, including one in a rather . . . delicate location.

At least Jack did learn about Rya'c and the upcoming nuptials. They were going to take place in only three days. Teal'c was angry that Rya'c had not consulted him before making the decision. Teal'c believed that the girl his son was marrying had "caused all reason to leave Rya'c's head." Ishta, on the other hand, was apparently not against the marriage, stating that tradition should persist at all costs, especially in the face of oppression. But Teal'c was positive that Rya'c was too young to know what love is and that love inevitably weakened a warrior's resolve.

And what had Jack's words of wisdom been?

"Look, T, I'm not gonna tell you how to raise your kid, but I've always found that sticking your fingers in your ears and humming loudly solves a whole slew of problems."

Teal'c didn't stick his fingers in his ears. Instead, he went with Jack to the control room in response to the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation. When Ishta's IDC came through, both men went down to the gate room to greet her.

She and the female Jaffa named Ka'lel appeared through the wormhole and came down the ramp. They bowed their heads in greeting. Teal'c did likewise to them.

"Greetings," Jack said.

"There is an urgent matter we must discuss," Ishta said. "Hak'tyl may have been compromised."

Jack and Teal'c exchanged a concerned glance.

"Well, that's not good news," Jack responded. He turned around and called up to the control room. "Call Daniel and Carter. Tell them they're needed in the briefing room."

"Yes, sir," the gate technician said.

Before the call could be made, the two people it would have been made to entered the gate room.

"What's up?" Daniel asked.

"There is trouble on Hak'tyl," Teal'c replied.

"Come on. Let's go up to the briefing room," Jack said.

They all ascended to the briefing room and sat at the table.

"What's the trouble on Hak'tyl?" Daniel asked.

"We believe that Moloc is aware of our existence," Ishta replied.

"How do you know?"

"Yesterday, we were to meet one of our contacts, a high priestess stationed within Moloc's temple. She failed to appear at the allotted time."

"You must evacuate immediately," Teal'c said.

"I agree, but we know not of another uninhabited planet like Hak'tyl. Hiding a large group of female warriors and children within a populated planet in Moloc's domain is difficult and dangerous."

"Well, I'm sure we could help you folks out," Jack said. He turned to Sam. "Carter?"

"Uh, no problem. We have a number of possible worlds on record, but they should be explored more thoroughly before you take up permanent residence."

"If Moloc is aware of our location, every moment my people remain on Hak'tyl puts them at greater risk," Ishta stated. She turned to Jack, who nodded, agreeing. Everyone looked at him expectantly until he finally realized what they were waiting for him to say.

"Oh. Um . . . uh, uh, you're welcome to stay here."

Ishta nodded in agreement, her gaze then going to Teal'c across the table.

"I'll go start the paperwork," Jack said.

A while later, Daniel and Sam stood in the gate room, watching as women and children came through carrying supplies and personal belongings.

Daniel's eyebrows rose as a horse was led through. "This could get interesting."

* * *

So, there's the end of Covenant and the beginning of Sacrifices. After Sacrifices, there will be a break in covering episodes since Endgame, Gemini and Prometheus Unbound won't be happening in this universe. Apologies to those who were looking forward to Daniel butting heads with Vala. Since the SGC has the means to contact Atlantis through the gate, there's no reason for the Prometheus to be sent to the Pegasus galaxy to check on the expedition. However, if I write a sequel to this series, Vala will be in that story. 


	32. Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

The arrival of the Hak'tyl had been going on for a while when a very familiar figure came walking through. Rya'c came down the ramp, a pretty girl with dark hair beside him. 

Much to Daniel's surprise, Teal'c's son crossed an arm over his chest and bowed his head to the archeologist. 

"It is an honor, Dan'yar," he said. 

"Rya'c, you've known me for years. I'm Daniel. You know that." 

"Yes, of course, but, when we last met, you were a friend of my father's and an ally in our fight against the Goa'uld. Now, you are--" 

"A friend of your father's and an ally in the fight against the Goa'uld," Daniel interrupted. "That hasn't changed." 

The girl beside Rya'c smiled in wonder. "You are truly Dan'yar, the one who possesses the power of a god?" 

Daniel sighed silently. "Yes, I'm the guy who's called Dan'yar, but I don't have the power of a god, at least not anyone who could rightfully claim such a title. I'm just a man who has gained some abilities that I've used to help fight the Goa'uld. Um, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone about this. We're trying to keep my real identity known to as few people as possible." 

"Of course. I will tell no one." 

"I have revealed your identity to no one since the day Master Bra'tac told me," Rya'c stated. He smiled and looked at the girl beside him. "Doctor Jackson, Colonel Carter, this is my simka, Kar'yn." 

"Rya'c, stop using those old terms," Kar'yn chastised gently. "We are betrothed." She turned to Daniel and Sam with a smile. "And it is an honor to meet both of you." 

Daniel smiled. "Likewise." 

"Is she not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" Rya'c asked. 

Kar'yn was now clearly annoyed. "Stop it. You're embarrassing me. I'm not an object to be worshiped." 

There was an awkward silence, which Teal'c's son broke. 

"Thank you for agreeing to host our union ceremony. It will be an honor to be betrothed among friends." 

"Oh, you're going to have the wedding here," the archeologist said in complete surprise. 

"Of course," Rya'c's fiancee replied. "Ishta said it may take some time to find a suitable planet for our new home." She smiled brightly at Rya'c. "We are to be married in three days." 

Daniel and Sam hid their shock and mild sense of horror behind gigantic fake smiles. The archeologist draped his arm across Sam's back, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. She put her hand over his and began tapping it with her forefinger. 

"There is much to do." Kar'yn turned to her fiance. "Rya'c?" She took him by the hand and began pulling him. 

"Excuse us," he said, going with her. 

"They're having the wedding here," Daniel said through the smile. 

"Yeah." 

"Does Jack know about this?" 

Sam glanced at him. "I'm gonna work on finding them a planet." 

Daniel nodded, thinking that was a very good idea. 

"Yeah," Sam murmured as she left. 

Daniel remained where he was. He was wrong before. This wasn't going to be interesting, it was going to be a disaster. 

"There's no way I'm going to be the one to tell Jack that the wedding will be here," he muttered to himself. 

As it turned out, he didn't have to. Bra'tac got that dubious honor. Jack actually took it quite well. After all, Bra'tac did promise that there would be cake, so that was a plus. 

As the day progressed and the panic attacks being suffered by the cleaning crew over the horses got into full swing, Jack decided that having a wedding in the gate room would be the least troublesome part of this whole situation. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel was heading down the corridor to his quarters when he heard Ishta's raised voice coming from the quarters assigned to her. 

"I will not stand idly by and watch more of my sisters slain at the hand of Moloc while you and the leaders of this so-called Jaffa rebellion, you plot, and you scheme, and you ultimately do nothing!" 

Daniel came to a stop and heard Teal'c's angry reply. 

"You have no wish to fight side-by-side, only to control and dominate." 

"As my sisters have been for generations!" responded Ishta. 

"As you will continue to be because of your short-sightedness!" 

"I will not rest until Moloc is dead!" 

Teal'c's reply was too low for Daniel to hear. A few seconds later, the former First Prime of Apophis came out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He spotted Daniel. 

"Uh . . . problem?" the archeologist inquired. 

Teal'c began walking down the corridor, Daniel beside him. 

"Her stubbornness knows no bounds," the Jaffa complained. 

"Yes, well, from what I can tell, that seems to be a Jaffa character trait." 

Teal'c glanced at the archeologist, thinking of a time when Daniel would not so boldly have made such a remark. He inclined his head in concession of the point. 

"I couldn't help but hear what Ishta said," Daniel told him. "It sounds like she's not willing to wait." 

"She is not. She and those she has organized intend to attempt to overthrow Moloc, but, as I have explained to her, even if they succeed, another Goa'uld will merely take his place." 

"Yeah. Um, look, Teal'c. I do agree that, ultimately, all of the Goa'uld must be brought down together, but look at this from her point of view. Every day that Moloc lives, that's one more day that babies are being sentenced to death. For Ishta, this fight isn't against the Goa'uld, it's for the preservation of life and against the individual who is taking those lives. How much longer do you think it will be before the rebel Jaffa are strong enough to rise up against the Goa'uld?" 

"Many months, perhaps even years." 

"And how many babies will die by Moloc's command in that time? Teal'c, I do understand that your fight has always been against all the Goa'uld, and I definitely agree that you must do all you can to unite your people against them, but, when it comes to Moloc . . . what would you do if it was your daughter who was going to die? Would you still say that you must wait until all Goa'uld can be brought down?" 

Frowning, Teal'c thought about what Daniel was saying. Though a part of him did not want to admit it, he knew that the archeologist had a point. If his daughter was being threatened by Moloc, he would not hesitate to strike immediately to save her. 

"Your wisdom can be most troublesome at times, Daniel Jackson," he said. 

Daniel smiled faintly. "Yes, Jack's been saying that for years." The smile faded. "I'm not saying that Ishta's plan for a full-scale assault on Moloc is the best course of action. It could easily backfire. But I do agree that something needs to be done." 

Teal'c did not reply. Daniel glanced at him. "So, is that the only problem?" 

"Ishta believes that I do not approve of Rya'c's union because I see Kar'yn as unworthy of him. This, in turn, means that I must feel that Ishta was a poor teacher." 

"But that's not the reason." 

"No. Rya'c has pledged to help lead the Jaffa in the battle against the Goa'uld. He must not be weakened in his resolve by ties to a wife and children. When I chose to dedicate my life to the destruction of the Goa'uld, I put that goal above my family, and it cost me dearly. If I had been with Drey'auc and Rya'c, my wife may have lived. I have nearly lost Rya'c more than once. I do not wish for him to face the same pain I have. He is young, and there will be much time for him to marry and have children after our battle is won." 

"Which is all fine and dandy except that love doesn't work on a timetable. You can't schedule it in when it's convenient. Even if Rya'c didn't marry Kar'yn now, he'd still love her and think about her. I know that, for all those months I loved Sam and we weren't together, it drove me crazy. It didn't make me more focused on the job, just the opposite, in fact. Then, after she and I got together, I felt stronger, more determined than ever to put an end to the Goa'uld for the sake of my future with her. I'm not saying that it would be the same with Rya'c, but, regardless of whether or not they get married, Kar'yn is a part of him now." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Jack was not a happy man. The Hak'tyl had been here for just one day, and he was already feeling the symptoms of insanity coming on. The horses were the worst part. There was the dreadful smell, and you couldn't go down a corridor without having to watch where you stepped. Several members of the cleaning staff were already saying that they were going to request a transfer if the horses weren't gone soon. Jack was thinking that a transfer really didn't sound half-bad. 

The latest issue to arise was the goat. The Hak'tyl wanted a goat for a ritual sacrifice at the wedding. Jack had, of course, said no way and suggested a pinata instead. 

The good news was that Sam had told him they'd found a planet Ishta was satisfied with. The bad news was that it would take a week to get a livable camp setup. In a week, there would be no cleaning staff left--nor anything left of Jack's sanity. 

The general noticed Daniel ahead, in a conversation with an airman. As a horse was led by, Jack saw the airman move further away from it, but the archeologist barely seemed to notice the animal. 

As the airman left, Jack came up to Daniel. 

"Hey, Jack." 

"Daniel. You appear to be at ease around the horses." 

The archeologist shrugged. "I've been on a lot of digs where the primary mode of transportation was either horses or camels. I'm not an expert horseman by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't have a problem with them." 

"Yes, well, I do, especially on my base. I don't suppose any of your powers could be used to get rid of this smell." 

"Nope. Sorry. But, hey, there could be a solution to that." 

"What? At this point, I'll accept anything." 

"One of the marines lived on a ranch. He suggested that we build a corral up top." 

"Brilliant idea, worthy of a promotion at least, if not a medal of some kind. The faster it's built the better I'll like it." 

Daniel nodded. "So, I hear there's going to be a wedding rehearsal this afternoon." 

"Yep. Who'd have thought that the Jaffa actually rehearse these things?" 

"Do any of us need to be there for it?" 

"Nope, although I suppose that Teal'c will at least watch it, whether or not he's happy about it." 

"Yeah. He and I talked about that a bit." 

"And?" 

"I don't know if anything I said changed his mind. I just don't like seeing him at odds with Rya'c." 

"Being at odd with your kids is a fact of being a parent, Daniel. You and Carter will find that out eventually." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

To say that the rehearsal did not go smoothly would have been an understatement. Everything was going fine until the ceremony got to the part where Kar'yn was told to get on her knees before Rya'c as a sigh of respect. 

"I will do no such thing," she said. 

"Kar'yn," Rya'c responded, frowning at her refusal. 

"I kneel before no man, not even my husband." 

"This action has been part of the ceremony for thousands--" Bra'tac began to say but was cut off by the irate young woman. 

"Then he should kneel before me as well." Kar'yn looked at Rya'c in anger. "Or am I too weak to have such respect given to me in return?" 

His pride wounded, Rya'c said, "You disgrace my name." 

Bra'tac, seeing a complete meltdown looming, desperately tried to avert it. "Perhaps if we took a-a-a . . . a short recess. . . ." 

"And if you insist on treating me like a fragile handmaiden, then . . . I have chosen poorly for a husband!" Kar'yn raged. 

"Well, perhaps I have chosen poorly as well," Rya'c shot back. 

Kar'yn ripped off the woven circlet on her head that represented fidelity, threw it at Bra'tac, and stormed out, the other female Jaffa leaving as well, with the exception of Ishta. Rya'c removed the necklace that was the totem of bravery and gave it to Bra'tac, then walked out, followed a moment later by Ishta. 

Now alone, Bra'tac picked up a goblet of wine. "I can see why one must rehearse these events." 

As he was taking a sip, the gate activated. 

"Unscheduled off-world activation," announced Sergeant Harriman. 

Immediately after the wormhole had established, a message came through. 

"Receiving a message. On screen," the sergeant told Teal'c, who had been watching the rehearsal from the control room. 

Teal'c was looking at the message as Ishta and Bra'tac came in. "Ishta, this concerns you." 

She stepped forward and read what was on the screen. "It is from one of my contacts among Moloc's Jaffa. He is requesting a summit." 

"For what reason?" 

The woman faced Teal'c. "Our forces that are hiding among the Jaffa of Moloc have become large, but there are still many who are loyal to him. We risk being exposed. We must send the coordinates of the new homeworld to those who will attend." 

"Very well. I will accompany you to this summit." 

"You have no say in our matters." 

Teal'c gave her a small smile. "Perhaps there is counsel I can provide." 

Ishta took a step toward him. "You will abide by my ruling," she said in a low voice of warning. 

Teal'c exchanged a look with Bra'tac, then bowed slightly to Ishta in assent. 

"I believe there is another who should attend as well," Bra'tac said. 

"Who?" Ishta asked. 

A small smile curved the elder Jaffa's lips. "Dan'yar." 

Teal'c looked at him sharply. 

Surprise filled Ishta eyes. "Dan'yar? You know where he is?" 

Bra'tac's smile grew. "Indeed we do. He is much closer than you could guess." 

"Old man, what are you planning?" Teal'c asked suspiciously. 

"I plan nothing, my friend. I merely believe it is time for Ishta to know the truth about Dan'yar." 

The woman looked back and forth between them. "Of what does he speak?" she asked Teal'c. 

"Come," Bra'tac said. "All will become known to you." 

With the Master Jaffa in the lead, they all went up to Level 18. As they entered Daniel's office, Ishta frowned in confusion. 

Daniel stared at them curiously from his chair. "What's up, guys?" 

Bra'tac turned to the female Jaffa. "Ishta, it is my great honor to introduce you to the one who is called Dan'yar." He gestured at Daniel. 

Ishta's eyes widened in shock. "You are Dan'yar?" 

Feeling extremely uncomfortable, Daniel replied, "Uhhh . . . yeeahh, that would be me." 

"But I do not understand. How can this be?" 

"Oh, that's a very long story." 

Ishta rounded on Teal'c. "Why did you not tell me of this? Did you think I could not be trusted with this knowledge?" 

"It was agreed that the true identity of Dan'yar would be revealed only to those who must know." 

"And you thought I did not need to know? If I had known that Dan'yar was not only right here on Earth but also a member of SG-1, I would have asked for his aid in destroying Moloc." Realization dawned on Ishta's face. "That is the real reason you did not tell me. You knew that I would ask him for help." 

"Um . . . excuse me," Daniel said with an uplifted finger, seeing where this was going. Nobody paid attention him. 

"I knew that, if you were aware of who Dan'yar was, you would not relent until he agreed to help you," Teal'c stated. 

"And that is something you could not have!" Ishta exclaimed. "You denied my sisters the one thing that could have brought them salvation many months ago because you refuse to accept that Moloc's death cannot wait for when your rebellion to finally be ready to do something!" 

"I denied you the knowledge because it is not Daniel Jackson's responsibility to kill Moloc, nor should he be expected to do so," Teal'c responded. 

A piercing whistle halted what Ishta was about to say. Everyone looked at Daniel, who was now standing. 

"Okay, since this argument is about me, I'd say that it's about time I stepped into it," he said. He turned to the female Jaffa. "Ishta, I understand what your people are going through, and if there had been an easy way for me to stop Moloc, I'd have done it, but simply waltzing onto whatever planet he was on and getting rid of him wouldn't have been possible." 

"But you captured Baal within his stronghold." 

"With the help of a thousand Jaffa and several SG teams. I'm not all-powerful, Ishta. I can't snap my fingers and make enemies vanish. Any attack on Moloc would have cost a lot of lives, perhaps including my own. I'm sorry, but, unless a situation came up in which I could get Moloc without having to go through hundreds of Jaffa to get to him, a straightforward attack would be too risky." 

"With you at our side, the forces we are amassing against Moloc would surely be victorious." 

Daniel sighed. "Okay, look. Personally, I believe that, if we put our heads together, we could think of another way to get Moloc, one that wouldn't cost a lot of lives. But, if there isn't, and you have no choice but to attack him, I'll . . . I'll help you however I can." He held up his hand before Ishta could respond. "But you can't go forward with the attack just because you know that I'll be there to help. We all need to sit down and talk about this, try to come up with an alternate plan. There may be a way to make use of my abilities other than in a full-scale assault. Can you promise me that we'll do that before you move forward with your plans?" 

Ishta bowed her head. "I give you my word. I had believed that to attack Moloc by force was our only option, but, with you on our side, another way may be possible. You have my gratitude, Dan'yar. This news will give all who seek to stop Moloc great hope." 

"No, you can't tell anyone about this, not a single person " Daniel said firmly. "We've already found out that news about me tends to travel very fast among the Jaffa. If word got out that I was part of a plan against Moloc . . . well, that would be very bad." 

"Moloc would increase the size of the forces protecting him," Bra'tac said. 

"Moreover, he would seek to discover who and where Dan'yar is to put an end to the threat," Teal'c stated. 

Daniel nodded in agreement. "I'm already number one on the Goa'uld's most wanted list. The last thing I need is for it to get even worse." 

Ishta inclined her head. "I will speak to no one about this. I give you my word." 

"Thanks." Daniel looked at Teal'c and Bra'tac. "Okay, so what was the reason you two suddenly decided to let Ishta in on the secret?" 

Bra'tac explained about the requested summit. "I had believed that you could bring calm to those assembled and give them counsel. As Dan'yar, they would listen to your words, and you are a man of wisdom. Now, I see that it might not be wise for you to attend for the same reason that Ishta cannot tell others about you. The risk is too great that news of your involvement would spread." 

Daniel nodded. "You're right. As much as I'd like to help out, it wouldn't be a good idea." He looked at Ishta. "Maybe you could choose two or three of the men that you trust most and bring them here. Then we can all sit down and put our heads together, come up with a new plan." 

"I will do as you ask," Ishta said. "The summit that we go to now will include men whom I have complete trust in. I will invite them here, and we shall talk." Her expression hardened. "But you must know that, if we cannot devise a plan that will bring a swift end to Moloc's reign, the attack will go forward, whether you are at our side or not." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

A while later, Teal'c and Ishta left for the summit, Bra'tac remaining behind. He went in search of Rya'c and found the young man practicing with a long wooden pole in lieu of a staff weapon. In the conversation that followed, Rya'c asked why Teal'c was refusing to give his blessing to the marriage. 

"Then the union is still to be?" Bra'tac questioned. 

"That is not the point," Rya'c replied. 

"You have made a choice. You pledged your life to fight for freedom for all Jaffa. It is a war you must commit to without question." 

"I know! That is why my father abandoned my mother and I, because we made him weak." Rya'c pounded the end of the pole on the floor angrily. 

"That is not true," Bra'tac told him. 

"He knows I forgave him for that long ago. I understand why it was necessary." 

"Do you, hmm? Teal'c stayed First Prime of Apophis as long as he did because he feared for you. He committed atrocities in the name of the Goa'uld because he wanted you and your mother to be safe. When he chose to leave, to join the Tau'ri, it was the most difficult thing he has ever done. It is not you that made him weak, but his own fear and doubt. When he realized the Goa'uld could indeed be defeated, that, if he fought hard enough, you could one day be free, it made him stronger." 

"It is the same for me with Kar'yn," Rya'c declared. "She fuels my desire to fight for freedom. We know what we must face, and we choose to do it together." 

Bra'tac laid his hand on Rya'c's shoulder. "You still have much to learn about yourself, about being a warrior, and neither of you truly know what we will all face in full-scale war with the Goa'uld." 

Rya'c lifted his chin. "I do not need his blessing." 

"No, you do not," Bra'tac responded with anger. He turned away and headed for the door. 

"And he insults Kar'yn. She is a formidable warrior who deserves his respect." 

The Master Jaffa gazed at the young man piercingly. "And yours." 

Bra'tac walked through the door, leaving Rya'c with that thought. 

A short while later, the young Jaffa was at the door to the quarters that had been assigned to Kar'yn. Straightening his spine, he knocked on the door. 

"Enter," he heard her say. She rose from her seat on the bed when he came in. "Rya'c." 

"Kar'yn, I . . . I wish to ask forgiveness. I was angry at my father because I believed that he did not respect you as a warrior, yet I was guilty of that as well by expecting you to abide by a tradition that would be disrespectful to you. If you still wish to be my wife, I will insist that you not be asked to kneel before me." 

Kar'yn came forward. "I have thought long about this as well. Ishta counseled me on my emotions and hasty actions. It is true that I believed that both you and your father had no respect for me as a warrior. Ishta told me that your father did not accept her skills as a warrior without her having to prove herself to him." She met Rya'c's eyes. "I will prove myself to be a warrior worthy of your respect, just as you are one who is worthy of mine." 

Rya'c stepped up to her, taking her hands. "You have no need to prove anything to me, my beloved, for that respect is already yours." 

The young lovers went into each other's arms and kissed. 

"Soon, we will be married," Rya'c said, "and then we will fight side-by-side against the Goa'uld as warriors." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

In a tent on the planet that would be the new home of the Hak'tyl, Teal'c and Ishta were gathered with leaders among the men in Moloc's army who were part of the rebellion. The men had been reporting the intel they had on Moloc and his troops and the numbers of new Jaffa who had joined those who wished for freedom. Teal'c knew that he was late for the scheduled check-in, but he could not afford to leave now. 

"The ranks of rebel Jaffa are sizable enough to win," a man named Aron said. "The time to strike is now." 

"Aron is right," Cor'ak confirmed. "If we wait much longer, it is only a matter of time before our numbers grow too large for Moloc not to discover. We risk losing everything." 

Ishta stepped to the center of the group. "My brothers, until this day, I would have agreed readily that we should attack, but I have learned something that gives me great hope that there may be a way to defeat Moloc without sacrificing many of our numbers in a battle." 

Aron frowned. "What is this thing?" 

"I cannot tell you here for fear that word of it will reach Moloc's ears, but I will say that we have gained a powerful ally. He requests that a small number of us meet on the Tau'ri homeworld to devise a new plan." 

"I cannot believe that you would abandon our plan of attack so readily," Cor'ak said. "You have fought and planned long and hard for this battle, and now you say that, at the word of one man, you wish to abandon it?" 

Ishta stared at him. "If our plan to attack does prove to be our only recourse, then we shall do it. I am merely stating that there may be another way." 

The faint sound of a disturbance outside, jerked Teal'c's attention in that direction. 

Ishta stepped up to him, following his gaze. "What is it?" 

Teal'c heard the sound of staff weapons being primed. "Down!" he yelled, grabbing Ishta and pulling her to the ground with him. 

An instant later, a barrage of staff weapon fire blasted through the tent walls. Most of the others were not fast enough to move and were hit. Teal'c, Ishta, and Aron barely managed to escape out the back and down a steep hillside. They made their way to a place that overlooked the gate. Lying on the ground so as not to be seen, they crept up to the edge and peered over. Below, a large number of Jaffa loyal to Moloc guarded the gate. 

"The gate is well guarded," Teal'c stated. 

"We must return to the meeting tent," Ishta said. "If anyone else survived, they will be tortured." 

"Wait." 

"For what?" Aron asked. 

Teal'c glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but did not reply. He didn't have to, for, at that moment, the gate activated. The enemy Jaffa aimed their weapons at it. 

Jack's voice came through on Teal'c's radio. "Teal'c? You there?" 

"Proceed, O'Neill." 

"You know how I get when you don't call. On top of that, you-know-who just came running in here, telling me that you're in trouble." 

Ignoring the frown of puzzlement on Aron's face, Teal'c said, "I fear that he is right, O'Neill. Moloc's Jaffa ambushed the summit. The address of the planet must have fallen into the wrong hands. I am with Ishta and another rebel Jaffa named Aron. At present, we are cut off from the gate." 

"How bad?" 

"Very." 

A whispered conversation could be heard through the radio. 

"Our mutual friend wants to know if he can help," Jack then said. 

Teal'c studied the situation below. "There are at approximately sixty men guarding the gate. I am uncertain as to the full extent of forces or if there are ships in orbit." 

A new voice came on the radio. "Teal'c, how many at the gate would be taken out by a shock grenade?" Daniel asked. 

"Perhaps half." 

"Leaving around thirty or so. I think we could handle that many." 

"They are well-armed, including three blast cannons. One would no longer be manned but the other two would remain so." 

"Well, I've never tried to stop blast cannon fire before, but I should be able to do it, at least for a few seconds. I'll just have to act fast." 

"And if there are ships in orbit?" 

"If there are, then we'll just have to get you out of there in a hurry. They won't fire upon the gate's location from orbit. They'd have to send death gliders and Al'Kesh." 

Ishta motioned for Teal'c to let her speak on the radio. He pressed the mic button for her. 

"It is possible that some of the other Jaffa who were here for the summit are still alive," she said. "Any who lived will be tortured. We cannot leave them to suffer that fate." 

There was another whispered discussion, then Jack spoke. 

"We'll deal with that. Find a good place to hide that's not far from the gate. We'll be coming through soon. Oh, and T?" 

"My head is down, O'Neill," Teal'c responded. 

"Over." 

"Who was that man you spoke to," Aron asked, "the one whose name was not given?" 

"He is the one I spoke of in the tent," Ishta replied. "He is--" She was stopped by Teal'c's hand on her arm. She paused only a moment before continuing. "He is a man with great resources at his command." 

"They must be great resources indeed if blast cannons and thirty or more armed Jaffa trouble him so little." 

"They are indeed," Teal'c responded with a small smile. "Come. Let us find a place where we can remain hidden." 

They retreated into the woods in search of a hiding place. They found a spot where a group of large trees and some brush would provide sufficient cover. 

"One of us should scout the area for signs of patrols," Teal'c said. He looked at Aron. 

"I will go," the man said. He headed off into the woods. 

"Someone from within your camp has betrayed you," Teal'c murmured to Ishta. "That can be the only explanation for Moloc's presence here." 

"I agree, but I fear that I do not know who it could be." 

"How much trust do you put in Aron?" 

Ishta started at him. "You think he is the traitor?" 

"This I do not know, but we cannot afford to trust him." 

Ishta nodded. "You are right." Her face filled with realization. "Teal'c, I do not have my Tretonin. It was in my pack, and, in our haste, I left it in the tent." 

"I have enough for both of us." Teal'c removed the cylinder from his breast pocket, but discovered that it was broken. 

"It must have shattered when you fell to the ground," Ishta said worriedly. 

"There is no need for concern. Help will arrive before we are in dire need." 

They heard someone approaching. Aron appeared a moment later. He slipped into the hiding place. 

"A search patrol approaches. We must take care." 

Teal'c stared at the man. "Indeed." 


	33. Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

"What is your plan of action?" Bra'tac asked Jack, Daniel and Sam in the briefing room. 

Jack turned to Daniel. "Why don't you explain since you're the one who insists we do this." 

"All right." Daniel faced Bra'tac. "Teal'c said that a shock grenade would take care of about half the Jaffa guarding the gate, leaving roughly thirty for us to deal with. I figured that, if I come through the gate, uh, primed and ready to go, I can strike at the rest of the Jaffa before they have time to get off very many shots." 

"Our plan is to time things perfectly so that we'd come through the second after the grenade goes off," Sam explained, "when the other Jaffa will still be dazed by the flash." 

"What of ships that may be in orbit?" Bra'tac asked. 

"We're going to be injected with the isotope that will hide us from the ship's sensors. We'll bring more with us to give to Teal'c, Ishta, Aron and however many other rebel Jaffa we find alive. In that way, they won't be able to track us with sensors." 

"A few of us will make our way to where the summit was held and see if there are any rebel Jaffa we can rescue," Daniel said. 

"The area will have many patrols," Bra'tac pointed out. 

"Yes, but we have a big advantage over them. I'll be able to sense their approach before they get near us. Then I can either incapacitate them or we can hide." 

Bra'tac nodded. "I had intended to gather intel on the situation with the rebel forces in Moloc's army, but I see that will not be necessary at this time." He smiled. "It will be a great pleasure to at last witness your power in battle, Daniel Jackson." 

No one questioned the Jaffa's apparent decision to join them. 

"Well, I'm really hoping there won't be all that much battling going on," Daniel said. 

"I can't say that I'm a hundred percent happy with the plan," Jack said, "but I guess it's the best we can come up with that we can carry out quickly. I'd prefer going with you, but Hammond's already given me a lecture about joining that rescue mission to Tegalus. At least he didn't complain about my trip to Atlantis." 

Just then, Rya'c and Kar'yn came in, followed by the rest of the Hak'tyl warriors. 

"We have learned of what took place," Rya'c said. 

"We will not abandon Ishta," Ka'lel declared. "We insist a rescue mission be devised immediately." 

"Well, as a matter of fact, one already has been," Jack told them. "We're working the details now." 

"Then we must be a part of it," Rya'c declared. "It is my father who is trapped." 

"And my teacher," Kar'yn stated. 

All the other members of the Hak'tyl began talking, insisting that they be included in the mission. 

"Silence!" Bra'tac bellowed. Everyone went quiet. "I understand your desire to aid those we seek to rescue, but, for this mission to work, we require the ability to act swiftly and move silently. A large party will be a hindrance." 

"I will not be left behind while my father's life hangs in the balance," Rya'c stated firmly. 

"Nor will I as long as Ishta's life is at risk," Kar'yn said with equal firmness. 

That started all the other women going again. It was necessary for Bra'tac to order them to be silent a second time. 

"All right, that's enough," Jack said. "Rya'c, Kar'yn, you two can go. As for the rest of you, you're staying here." 

One of the women glared at him. "You are not our master." 

Jack was about to respond, but Bra'tac held up his hand. "Please allow me, O'Neill." He turned to the woman. "In this place, O'Neill _is_ your master. His word is law. However, I will explain to you something that may put your minds at ease. Dan'yar will be with us." 

There were sounds of surprise in the group. Rya'c and Kar'yn both glanced at Daniel. 

"Dan'yar?" Ka'lel said. "We have heard much about him from those in Moloc's army. They say that he has power like that of a god." 

Daniel sighed very softly. He really, _really_ needed to do something about that. 

"His power is great indeed," Bra'tac confirmed. "I have witnessed it with my own eyes. However, he is no god, which he would be quick to confirm. But, with him at our side, our victory against Moloc's forces on the planet is almost assured. Go back to your quarters, and--" 

"Um, wait, Bra'tac," Daniel interrupted. "I've got an idea. They might come in handy after all." He quickly explained the idea he had, being careful to avoid referring to himself as Dan'yar. 

Bra'tac nodded in approval. "Yes. The plan is sound." He turned to the Hak'tyl. "Now, go. We must prepare for the mission. Every moment delayed is a moment more that the lives of Teal'c and Ishta are at risk. When it is time, you will be summoned." 

All the Hak'tyl filed out of the room, except for Kar'yn, who remained with Rya'c. 

"Why did you not tell them that Daniel Jackson is Dan'yar?" the young woman asked. 

"It would only have caused further delay," Bra'tac replied. "They will know soon enough." 

A while later, everyone began assembling in the gate room. Nurses moved around the room, injecting everyone going on the mission with the isotope that would render them invisible to the sensors of any ships in orbit. 

Several of the Hak'tyl were looking around the room. 

"Where is Dan'yar?" one of them asked. 

At that moment, Daniel came into the room, dressed all in black and without his glasses. He wore a sidearm, but did not carry a P-90. 

Bra'tac smiled. "He is here." He bowed his head at Daniel, who returned the gesture. 

The Hak'tyl gaped at the archeologist. 

"He is Dan'yar?" one asked in disbelief. 

"Indeed he is," Bra'tac replied. 

The gate had begun dialing. Ignoring the whispers of surprise among the Hak'tyl, Daniel took up position at the foot of the ramp, centering his mind and gathering his power for what was to come. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The distant sound of the gate activating alerted Teal'c, Ishta and Aron to the fact that someone was coming through. They left their hiding place and hurried to the spot where they could watch. They'd no sooner arrived when a shock grenade came flying out of the gate, clearing the steps of the platform. Within two seconds of hitting the ground, it went off. All the Jaffa within its range were rendered unconscious. Those who were left had no time to react, for, no sooner had the flash of the grenade faded when thirteen figures came through the gate, a man all in black in the lead. He lifted his hand, and a wall of fire blasted outward, racing toward the remaining Jaffa, who cried out in fear, some running, others diving to the ground. The fire touched none of them. Then the three blast cannons went hurtling through the air to smash into trees or the hillside. A few of the Jaffa fired at the party. Their staff weapons were wrenched from their grasps, and they were slapped to the ground by an unseen force. 

"Dan'yar," Aron whispered in awe, knowing there could be only one man who could do what he had just witnessed. 

Ishta, too, was struck with awe, the feeling in no way lessened by the knowledge of Dan'yar's true identity. 

"I am Dan'yar!" the man in black called out. He and the others were now standing at the foot of the steps. "You know what I can do. Drop your weapons and surrender, and you will not be harmed. If you don't, I will have no choice but to kill you." He backed up his words by creating a small fireball to hover over his outstretched hand. 

Just then, a large group of female Jaffa came through the gate, which had remained activated, and aimed their weapons at Moloc's men. 

The Jaffa of Moloc did not move for long seconds. They all knew who Dan'yar was. They had all heard the tales of this man who was hailed as being mightier than the Goa'uld. What they had just witnessed gave proof to the tales. 

One by one, then two and three at a time, the Jaffa began throwing down their weapons. Only five were foolish enough to choose not to surrender. Their staff blasts never reached the intended target, and, a second later, they were all dead, shot by the female Jaffa. 

"Okay, go tie their hands," Daniel ordered the Hak'tyl. He turned to the leaders of SG-3 and 5. "Cover them. We need to move fast. Chances are that racket was heard by patrols in the area, and we'll be getting more company." 

Everyone obeyed without question. Daniel looked at Sam, who nodded and began dialing the gate. He then got on the radio. 

"Teal'c?" 

"We are here, Dan'yar," Teal'c replied, "on the hill above you." 

Daniel looked up and saw three figures rise to their feet. 

"Good. Get down here as soon as you can." 

The gate activated, and Sam sent the IDC code. She explained to Jack that all was going well and that around thirty prisoners would be coming through. It had been decided earlier that it would be best to get any captured Jaffa out of the way so that they wouldn't cause trouble. If there was time, the unconscious ones would be carried through as well. 

Daniel cast his mind out into the surrounding woods, attempting to sense the approach of anyone. So far, they were all clear. His sixth sense was also not warning him of anything, like approaching ships. 

Rya'c and Kar'yn came up to the archeologist, their eyes filled with wonder. 

Teal'c's son smiled at him. "Never have I seen anything like that." 

"It is no wonder that you are so revered by the rebel Jaffa and that your name strikes fear into the hearts of those still loyal to the Goa'uld," the young man's bride-to-be said. 

Daniel made a face. "Yeah, well, I'd prefer to be a whole lot less revered." 

Just then, Daniel sensed three people approaching. One was Teal'c. Soon, they came into view. Rya'c and Kar'yn hurried toward them and accompanied them the rest of the way. 

"Are you guys okay?" Daniel asked. 

"Yes, but both Ishta and I have lost our Tretonin. We do not need more yet, but if we remain here many more hours, we will require some." 

"Ishta can share mine," Kar'yn stated. 

"And my father mine," said Rya'c. 

Daniel sensed eyes on him and turned to the man who had arrived with Teal'c and Ishta. This must be Aron. 

"You are Dan'yar," the man said. 

"That's what the Jaffa call me," Daniel confirmed. 

"I had hoped to meet you one day." He bowed his head and crossed his arm over his chest. "It is an honor." 

"Is it?" Teal'c asked, staring at Aron with suspicion in his eyes. "We know that one among those who knew of the summit must have betrayed us." 

"It was not I," Aron claimed. "This I swear." 

"Well, we can sort this out later," Daniel said. "For right now, I think you'd better go with the others to Earth. If you're innocent, I'll be able to tell." 

Aron met Daniel's eyes for a long moment, then inclined his head. "Very well." 

The man surrendered his weapons, handing his staff weapon to Teal'c, and was escorted to the gate by two of the Hak'tyl, one of them going through with him. 

A sudden internal warning drew Daniel's attention to a spot off in the distance. "Company's coming!" he called out. 

"Hurry! Get the rest of the prisoners through!" Sam shouted. 

The last few prisoners were shoved through the gate. 

"To the trees!" Bra'tac commanded. 

Everyone rushed into the woods, hiding in the thick stand of young trees at the edge of the clearing. They were there for around half a minute when a large patrol came running into view. The men slowed when they saw the unmoving bodies of their fellow Jaffa and the wreckage of the blast cannons. Cautiously, they looked about, weapons ready. 

Needless to say, they were more than a little surprised when their weapons were jerked from their grasp and went flying away. In the next moment, the humans and Hak'tyl emerged from the trees, weapons aimed at Moloc's men. Some of the men backed away a step, but there was no way for them to escape. If they tried, they would be shot down before they got far. 

"Hey, guys," Daniel greeted. "Welcome to the party. You're a little late, but we don't mind, do we?" 

"Nope, not at all," Sam replied. 

"Whatever plan you have will fail," one of Moloc's Jaffa declared proudly. "There are many more on this world who are loyal to our god. You cannot hope to defeat them all." 

"On the contrary," Bra'tac said with a little smile, "We will, indeed, defeat them. Look around you. Do you think that any ordinary force could do this? Look at the grass beneath your feet." 

The Jaffa looked down to see that the patches of grass were blackened, as if from fire. 

Bra'tac pointed at the blast cannons. "Look at the cannons and how they have been tossed like leaves to smash upon the ground. What force tore the weapons from your hands, hmm?" 

"Dan'yar," one Jaffa murmured, shifting nervously. The name caused a few others to start glancing about as if expecting a monster to appear. 

Bra'tac smiled again and nodded. "Yes. Dan'yar is here." 

"Then let him show himself," one of the braver of the bunch said. "Our great god Moloc will soon be here, and he will strike this Dan'yar down." 

"Moloc is coming?" Ishta asked sharply. "When?" 

The Jaffa refused to answer. 

"Okay, dial again and send these guys through," Daniel ordered. "We need to hurry." 

As one of SG-3 dialed the gate, the hands of the enemy Jaffa were bound. Sam, Teal'c, Bra'tac and Ishta walked up to Daniel, Rya'c and Kar'yn joining them a few seconds later. 

"Do you know if there are any ships in orbit?" Sam asked the archeologist. 

"I'm not sure I could see that far, not easily." 

"Didn't you see me when I was on the Prometheus?" Sam asked. 

"Yes, but that was a different situation, and it took a great deal of effort and concentration." 

"So, we do not know if Moloc waits in orbit or if he will come through the gate," Ishta said. 

Something occurred to Daniel. "No, there is another way to find out." 

He turned and called to Reynolds, telling him to wait on sending the new prisoners through. He saw that two of the Jaffa had already been sent. 

Daniel walked up to one of the Jaffa who had spoken before. "Are there ships in orbit?" The man said nothing. "Hold him," the archeologist instructed Teal'c and Bra'tac. They grasped the man's arms tightly. Daniel laid his hand on the shoulder of Moloc's Jaffa and closed his eyes. As he did with Frank March, the member of The Trust, Daniel sought to see the man's past and learn what they needed to know. It didn't take long. 

Daniel's eyes opened, his gaze meeting the Jaffa's, who was staring at him in confusion. 

"They came through the gate," Daniel said. "I didn't see anything that would indicate there are ships in orbit." 

"Then it is likely that Moloc will come through the gate as well," Teal'c said. 

"Did you find out when he's coming?" Sam asked Daniel. 

"No, I don't think this guy knows." 

"That is not surprising," Bra'tac said. "Moloc would likely choose not to reveal the details of his plans to anyone but his most trusted men." 

The captive Jaffa was now looking at Daniel with realization and hatred. "_You_ are Dan'yar." 

"Yes," the archeologist replied. He stepped back. "Okay, send him and the others through." 

"My master will destroy you!" the Jaffa being held by Teal'c and Bra'tac exclaimed as they took him to the gate. "You are a pretender! Moloc is a true god who will bring you to your knees!" 

Teal'c and Bra'tac shoved the man through the gate rather forcefully, then returned to the others. 

"Okay, we need to get to where the summit was held and rescue anyone who might still be alive," Daniel said. 

Ishta's expression hardened. "I will not lose this chance to kill Moloc." 

"I'm not asking you to, Ishta, but, if we don't get those prisoners now, we'll lose our chance." 

The woman nodded. "You are right. Teal'c can lead you to the meeting tent. I will stay here with the Hak'tyl to await Moloc's arrival. We will ambush him as he comes through." 

"That is unwise," Teal'c stated. "We cannot know how many Jaffa will come through with him. You may be vastly outnumbered. And if Moloc is protected by a personal shield, your weapons will be of no use against him. He may escape." 

"Right now, we need to focus on the rescue and worry about Moloc later," Daniel said. "We'll leave SG-3 and 5 here to keep an eye on the gate. If Moloc comes though, they'll let us know." 

"When he arrives, it is likely that Moloc will go to the meeting tent as well," Bra'tac said. "He will want to interrogate the survivors, if any exist." 

"Okay, if that's the case and he heads that way while we're still there, we'll wait for him to show up. Otherwise, after we see about survivors, we'll come back here and wait." 

Ishta nodded. "Very well. The Hak'tyl will await Moloc's arrival here with your teams." 

"No," Daniel said. "I'm sorry but a party that large would be too hard to hide for any length of time. We could be waiting for several hours. They'll have to go back to Earth." 

"The Hak'tyl will not run to safety when the murderer of our sisters is finally within our reach." 

Daniel sighed. "All right, choose four of your people besides yourself and Kar'yn to stay with SG-3 and 5, but the rest have to go. Pick women that you're certain will be able to resist the urge to shoot Moloc the second they see him." 

"None of my warriors would do so if I command otherwise," Ishta declared. 

"Are you sure of that? If Moloc was standing just a few yards away from you, how hard would it be for you not to pull the trigger?" 

Ishta met the piercing blue gaze for long seconds. "It would be difficult," she finally admitted. 

"Daniel, we need to get going," Sam said. "We're not going to have much more daylight." 

Ishta spoke to the rest of the Hak'tyl, explaining everything to them. They were not happy about having to leave. Ishta selected four women from among them to remain, one of which was Ka'lel. 

"Daniel, there is one possible problem," Sam said. "What if Moloc doesn't come for several hours? You can bet that Jaffa will be sent to relieve the men who were stationed at the gate sooner or later. The moment they see what happened here, they'll probably warn Moloc." 

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We're going to have to make sure they can't do that." 

"How?" Ishta asked. 

"I can sabotage the DHD," Sam replied, "remove one of the control crystals. It'll mean that, if we have to get out of here in a hurry, we're going to have a problem, but it's the only thing I can think of." 

"I agree," Bra'tac said. 

The gate was dialed a third time. 

"How's it going over there?" Jack asked. "You're certainly giving us a crap load of prisoners to deal with." 

"It's going fine, Jack, but I'm afraid that we're going to be sending a lot more prisoners through, unconscious ones this time, so be prepared to gather them up. Oh, and, um, we've learned that Moloc is coming here, so we're going to wait for him and try to take him down." 

"That wasn't part of the mission, Daniel." 

"I know, Jack, but it's the best chance we'll have to get him without a lot of bloodshed. I promised Ishta that I'd help get Moloc, and I intend to keep that promise. We've come up with a plan that should work." 

"Dammit, Daniel. This is the second time you've decided to run off and go get yourself a Goa'uld. I'm sensing a pattern here. I'm going to seriously consider never letting you command a mission again." 

"That's not really much of a threat to me, Jack." 

"Yeah, I know, and I suppose that asking nicely wouldn't help either." 

"Nope. Sorry." 

"Bribes?" 

"What sort of bribes? No, never mind. Look, Jack. I'm not going to order anyone here to stay. Anybody who wants to leave can go. I'm the only one who made the promise." 

"I'm staying, sir," Sam said into her radio. 

"As am I," Teal'c stated. 

"I would not wish to miss this," said Bra'tac. 

Reynolds spoke up. "I'd like to see the bastard brought down, sir. I've got two daughters." 

Harper, the leader of SG-5 said that he, too, wanted to stay. All of the other men of the SG teams said likewise. 

"Daniel, you're corrupting my people," Jack complained. 

"Sorry." 

"Okay, fine. Do you need more men?" 

"No, I think we're good. Um, just so you know, it might be a long wait. The sun's going down here, and Moloc might decide not to show till morning." 

"All right. I want check-ins every four hours," Jack ordered. 

"Uh . . . yeah. That's not going to be possible." 

"And why is that, Daniel?" 

"Because we're going to have to temporarily disable the DHD." 

"Daniel, I'm not liking this plan of yours." 

Sam got on the radio. "We have no other choice, sir. If we don't disable the DHD and any of Moloc's forces show up, they're going to see that something is wrong and contact Moloc." 

"And what if this plan of yours doesn't work? How are you going to come running back here if you can't dial the gate?" 

"It would take less than a minute to undo what I'm going to do to it, sir," Sam replied. "And, if he had to, Daniel could dial it." 

"Fine, but let me go on record as saying I have serious reservations about this." 

"Duly noted, Jack," Daniel responded. 

With the help of the Hak'tyl and SG-3 and 5, the unconscious members of Moloc's forces were sent through the gate, followed by all of the Hak'tyl, except Ishta, Kar'yn and the four women Ishta had chosen. The bodies of the five dead Jaffa were also taken so that there would be no clue as to what happened to the force that had been guarding the gate. By that time, the sun had dipped very low in the sky. 

Sam got to work on disabling the DHD, explaining to everyone what she was doing and how to reverse it. She wanted to be sure that, if something happened, there would be other people who would know how to get the DHD working again. Once the chosen control crystal was removed, it was hidden in a safe spot. 

Daniel turned to the leaders of SG-3 and 5. "I think it will be safer for you to position your teams up there." He pointed at the place where Teal'c, Ishta and Aron had been. 

Reynolds nodded. "Right. Are you sure you don't want any of us with you?" 

"Yes, I'm sure. We're going to be moving in the dark and will probably have to hide often. The smaller our group is, the easier that will be. Use your earpieces. We don't want the sound of voices on radios alerting anyone to our positions. We'll check in every two hours. If we miss a check-in, wait fifteen minutes before contacting us. We may be hiding from a patrol. Contact us if you run into trouble or if Moloc arrives." 

Everyone ascended to the top of the hill, then SG-1, Bra'tac, Ishta, Rya'c and Kar'yn parted company with the others and headed toward the meeting tent. 

The sun had barely set when the rescue team encountered their first patrol. Daniel, who was concentrating fully on sensing the presence of anyone in the area, abruptly stopped and motioned to the others. They all sought a place to hide. It was not long before they spied the patrol, a group of six men. The Jaffa looked around, eyes watchful, and continued on their way. The rescue team waited until they were well past before leaving their hiding place. 

"Why did you not strike at them?" Ishta asked Daniel. 

"Because the more bodies we leave lying around, the more likely it is that someone will figure out that something's up before we manage to get to that tent." 

They continued toward their destination, but had not gone very far when Daniel sensed another patrol. This time, there was no place nearby to hide, and they were forced to go deeper into the woods. They were heading for a shallow gully to hide in when Daniel suddenly sensed yet another patrol heading straight toward them. Daniel hurried the others into the gully and went in after them. He peeked out from over the top of the edge and waited. Within seconds, the Jaffa appeared, coming right toward them. Daniel waited for them to get a bit closer, then struck, rendering them unconscious one by one so quickly that none of them had time to cry out. 

The team climbed out of the gully and approached the men. 

"They are still alive," Ishta said. 

"Yes. It wasn't necessary to kill them. Come on, let's hide them in the gully." 

The Jaffa were dragged to the gully, then bound and gagged. 

"At this rate, it's going to take us forever to get there," Sam remarked. "They sure do have a lot of patrols out here." 

"If Moloc has some idea of the size of the rebel faction in his army, he would believe that there may be many more here," Teal'c said. "The closer we draw to the meeting tent, the more patrols there may be. His Jaffa would want to scour the area of all who would seek to harm their master." 

"Which means that I'm probably going to have to deal with quite a few more before we get there," Daniel said. 

Daniel's words proved to be prophetic. They encountered three more patrols, one of which Daniel had to knock out. And then, just as they reached a vantage point for the tent, what Daniel had feared would happen did. There was a shout of alarm as someone apparently found one of the patrols he'd knocked out. Activity exploded around the tent, what had appeared to be only six men quadrupling in number as more appeared from within the tent and the surrounding area. 

"Crap," Daniel cursed in a low voice. "Well, this is going to make things harder. I'm really limited on what I can do here. There are too many trees to risk fire. I could burn the whole forest down. We may have to-- Get down!" 

As Daniel shouted the warning, a patrol of eight men appeared behind them. Daniel struck at the men, hurling them against the trees. Teal'c, Bra'tac, Rya'c and Ishta opened fire with their staff weapons. 

The racket alerted the men in the camp to the rescue team's location, and they were suddenly being fired upon. They took cover and returned fire, Daniel knocking staff weapons out of Jaffa hands and throwing men back. He sensed that more Jaffa were closing in on their position. 

"We need to get to that tent now!" he shouted over the din. 

Knowing that he had no choice, Daniel unleashed his pyrokinetic abilities. Tongues of flame shot through the trees, aimed at the Jaffa in the clear area around the tent. They stumbled backwards, trying to flee, but there seemed to be no escape from the living flame. It chased them like hounds pursuing rabbits, singeing their hair and raising blisters on their skin. 

The team raced toward the chaos, weapons blazing. Daniel, his mind focused on controlling the fire, barely noticed where he was going. He stumbled and almost fell. For that instant, he lost control, and the fire consumed one of the Jaffa, who screamed in agony. Feeling sick, Daniel put out the fire, but he knew it was probably already too late. He pressed onward with the others. 

They made it to the tent. Daniel spun around and crouched at the entrance with Sam and Bra'tac on one side, Teal'c on his other. 

"Get in there and check on the men!" Daniel shouted to Ishta. She and Kar'yn hurried inside as Rya'c joined his father. 

As the two women checked the rebel Jaffa inside, the five people outside held their ground, Sam, Teal'c, Bra'tac and Rya'c firing their weapons at every Jaffa they saw as Daniel divided his time between sheltering them from staff weapon fire and attacking enemy Jaffa. 

Ishta came back out. "There are two still alive, but they are gravely injured," she shouted. 

"Can you take them out the back?" Teal'c asked. 

"Yes, but Kar'yn may need help." 

"Rya'c, help them." 

Ishta and Rya'c went back into the tent. 

Ignoring the headache that was rapidly growing worse, Daniel continued to defend himself and the others. He built a wall of flames between them and the attackers, then sent it racing outward, chasing Moloc's Jaffa back into the woods. 

Finally, the attack on their position stopped. Daniel knew it was only temporary, though. Soon, more Jaffa would arrive. 

Ishta returned. "The injured men have been taken to the edge of the hill." 

"All right, let's go while we've got the chance," Daniel said. "We need to find a place to hide and regroup." 

They went around behind the tent. Kar'yn and Rya'c were crouched beside two injured rebel Jaffa. Teal'c lifted one of the men up over his shoulders as Bra'tac did likewise with the other. 

They all made it down the steep slope, having to take it slowly because of the living burdens that two of their number carried. 

Once they reached the bottom, the team made it to a stand of young trees almost too thick to pass through. They squeezed in between the trunks for several feet, then Daniel leveled a small area, snapping the trees off at ground level. Ishta, Rya'c and Kar'yn quickly gathered up the felled trees and fashioned a wall around them as Sam and Daniel kept watch at the edge of the trees. It would now be impossible for anyone to see them. 

Bra'tac and Teal'c laid down their burdens, then the older Jaffa left to take over the job of keeping watch. Daniel and Sam entered the cleared area. The archeologist checked on the man Bra'tac had been carrying. There was a staff weapon wound in his shoulder, and it looked like he might have been beaten. 

Daniel looked over at Teal'c and the Jaffa lying unconscious beside him. "How is he?" 

"Not well. I do not believe he will live the night without medical attention." 

Sam knelt beside the man, the first aid kit in her hands. She checked on him. 

"Teal'c's right," she confirmed. "He's in really bad shape." She looked over at the other man. "How about him?" 

"I'd say he's a little better off," Daniel replied. He walked up to the more gravely injured man and knelt beside him. 

"Daniel, are you thinking of doing what I think you are?" Sam asked. 

"If you think I'm planning on healing him, then you're right." 

Sam stared at him intently. "How bad is your headache?" 

"I've had worse." 

"That's not what I asked, Daniel." 

The archeologist sighed. "Oh a scale of one to ten, ten being the headache I had after lifting the Stargate, this is only a three. . . . Okay, maybe a four." 

"You are ill?" Ishta asked him. 

"Every time Daniel uses his abilities extensively, they take a physical toll on him," Sam explained. "If he uses them too much, he'll collapse. More than once, it's caused minor hemorrhaging in his brain. It's possible that it could even kill him." 

Ishta stared at Daniel. "This I did not know. I was aware that your powers were limited, but I did not know that using them brought harm to you. I am sorry." 

"It's all right, Ishta. I'll be okay after I get some rest." He looked down at the unconscious man. 

"Don't even think about it, Daniel," Sam said sternly. "If you try to heal him, you'll drain yourself even more." 

"I just need to heal him enough to get him through the night. We came here to rescue these men. If I let them die, this will be for nothing." 

Sam sighed. "All right, but just enough so that he won't die." 

Daniel laid his hand upon the man's body and closed his eyes. The others gathered around to watch. They saw the wound in the man's lower chest begin to heal. The healing stopped before it was completed. 

Daniel swayed, and his shoulder was caught by Sam, who looked at him anxiously. 

"I'm okay, just really tired," he insisted. "I stopped the internal bleeding and repaired the damage to his liver. He should be all right for a while." 

"And the other one?" Rya'c asked, filled with wonder over what he'd just seen. 

Sam went to the other man. "The wound's nasty, but no internal organs would have been hit. I don't know about internal bleeding, though." 

"I'll check on that," Daniel said. Sam gave him a warning glare, but said nothing. 

Feeling more than a little shaky, Daniel went over to the other man. He delved into the injured Jaffa's body and found a small bleeder, which he repaired. The rest of the damage was not immediately life-threatening. 

Daniel sat down to take the weight off his trembling legs. "He'll be okay." 

"What are we going to do now?" Kar'yn asked. 

"Daniel needs to rest," Sam replied. "If he pushes himself any more, he's liable to pass out." 

Daniel nodded. "She's right, I'm afraid. Once I've gotten some rest, if Moloc hasn't come through the gate by then, we can head back, send the injured men through, then wait for Moloc to get here." 

Daniel found a spot on the ground that didn't have any tree stumps, spread out a blanket, then laid down. He didn't even have time to think about going to sleep before he was out. 


	34. Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Seeing that Daniel was already asleep, Sam removed the radio earpiece so that he wouldn't be disturbed by calls. She placed a rolled up blanket from her pack under his head. 

"He will be all right?" Rya'c asked her. 

"Yes. He just needs sleep and time to recuperate." 

Sam got on the radio to Reynolds. "We managed to rescue two of the rebel Jaffa. The rest were dead. Unfortunately, things got really hot. Daniel overdid it a bit, so he's resting. We probably have half the Jaffa on this planet looking for us now. You may have no choice but to get the DHD back up and running and send for backup." 

"How secure is your position?" 

"We're well hidden, but, once daylight arrives, a good tracker will be able to find us, so we need to get out of here before then. How are things going there?" 

"It's been quiet. We haven't. . . . Hold on. We've got activity below." There was a long silence, then, "Cat's out of the bag," Reynolds announced. "A large troop of Jaffa just showed up at the gate and discovered that nobody's home. They tried to dial out with the expected results. Most of them have stayed behind, but a small number left, probably to report to whoever is in charge." 

"Okay, remain at your position unless you have no choice but to move. Carter out." 

The hours passed as they waited in their hiding place. Sam had injected both injured Jaffa with morphine, concerned that the pain of their injuries would make them restless when they began awakening. Twice, patrols came near their hiding place, but the trees kept the rescuers well hidden. 

Sam was asleep when a voice in her ear awoke her. It was Major Harper, the leader of SG-5. 

"Colonel Carter, come in," he said. 

Sam reached for her radio. "Carter here." 

"Colonel, Moloc just arrived." 

Sam quickly sat up. "What's he doing?" 

"Well, he's clearly not a happy Goa'uld. We can hear him ranting from way up here. I'm guessing that he got the bad news about the DHD, the missing men and everything else." 

"Okay, keep reporting his actions. Carter out." 

Sam awoke everyone, except for Daniel. 

"Moloc's here," she told them. "He just came through the gate." 

"Is he on his way here?" Ishta asked. 

"Not yet. Right now, he's yelling at the unfortunate Jaffa at the gate." 

"What are our plans?" Rya'c asked. 

"I'm not sure. I need to wake up Daniel. It's all going to depend on how well he is." 

Sam gently shook the archeologist awake. 

"Sam? What's wrong?" 

"Moloc has arrived." 

Daniel immediately sat up. 

"How do you feel?" Sam asked. 

"Good. The headache's gone." He looked at the injured Jaffa. "How are they doing?" 

"They are . . . hanging on, as the Tau'ri would say," Bra'tac replied. 

"Carter, this is Reynolds. Come in." 

Sam pressed her mic button. "Carter here." 

Daniel realized that his earpiece was no longer in place and put it in just in time to hear the reply. 

"Moloc's on the move. I'd say that he's probably heading your way." 

Daniel spoke into his radio. "Can you tell how many are at the gate?" 

"It tough to tell for sure in the dark, but I'd say around forty or fifty. Are you still going through with the plan to get Moloc?" 

"Stand by." Daniel looked around at everyone. "So? Do we go ahead with it? I already know what your reply is going to be Ishta, but this needs to be decided by all of us since we're all risking our necks." 

"Well, for me, it depends on how recovered you are," Sam said. "The fighting is probably going to be intense. If you're not recovered enough to deal with it and take down Moloc, then I have to say no." 

"I feel okay, so I'd say that I could handle it." 

"All right, then I say let's go for it." 

Daniel looked at the eldest Jaffa. "Bra'tac?" 

"We have already succeeded in accomplishing much here, and, as you said, this may be our best hope to defeat Moloc without great loss of life." He nodded once. "We should do it." 

"Teal'c?" Daniel called softly. "Have you heard what we've said?" 

"I have," the Jaffa answered from outside the wall of fallen trees, where he was on watch. "I am in agreement with Bra'tac. We will get no better chance than this." 

"I, too, believe so," Rya'c stated. 

"My heart feels the same as Ishta's," said Kar'yn. "Moloc must be stopped." 

"What of you, Daniel Jackson?" Ishta asked. "You have given me your word that you would help destroy Moloc, but I will not bind you to that promise if you do not wish to do this. From what I now know, you, more than any of us, risk your life in this fight." 

Daniel looked at the others, their eyes all on him. "I say we don't let any more babies die at Moloc's hand." 

Ishta smiled and inclined her head. "For the children," she said quietly but firmly. 

"For the children," everyone else repeated. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Moloc was furious. He had come here expecting to enjoy the sight of a defeated faction of the rebellious Jaffa in his domain, but, instead, was greeted by the news of disappearing troops, destroyed blast cannons, battles lost, mysterious attackers that no one can find, and a dialing device that wasn't working. Someone would pay for this, and Moloc was going to delight in the pain he'd make them suffer. 

The Goa'uld and the Jaffa accompanying him arrived at the tent. Bodies were everywhere, many with the marks of staff weapon blasts on them, but others with multiple holes that pierced through their armor and into flesh. Though he had never seen wounds like that before, he knew that they were from the weapons the Tau'ri used. This confirmed statements from survivors who said that they saw humans in the battle. 

"I want this entire area search thoroughly," Moloc commanded. "The ones responsible for this are here somewhere." 

"My lord, Moloc," called a Jaffa. "Look." He pointed down at one of the corpses. The Goa'uld approached it and saw severely burned flesh and scorched armor. He looked about and noticed other signs of fire. 

"One of the survivors babbled a tale of being pursued by fire that lived," said the Jaffa who had pointed out the burned man. "I did not believe him and killed him for his weakness. Others have given equally unbelievable stories. Yet we have seen with our own eyes what was done to the blast cannons. What force could hurl them through the air in such a manner?" 

"I can tell you," someone replied. 

Moloc and his Jaffa spun around to see a lone, seemingly unarmed man emerge from the tent. The Jaffa immediately aimed their weapons at him. Moloc studied the man before him. 

"Who are you that dares defy a god?" he asked. 

"It's no god that I defy," the man replied. "As for who I am, you may have heard of me. I am called Dan'yar." 

The name sent a wave of reaction through the Jaffa, some of whom backed away fractionally. 

Moloc sneered. "So, you are Dan'yar, the hero of the Jaffa rebellion." He looked up and down the body of the man before him. "I see no man of great power, just a weak human." 

Daniel shrugged. "Well, you know what they say. Appearances can be deceiving." 

Moloc smiled. "When I tell my fellow System Lords that I have single-handedly defeated the man who has caused us so much trouble, they will be filled with envy." 

"You know, you really should have a little chat with Osiris about that. Oh, that's right. He's dead. Baal, then. No, he's dead, too. Anubis? Oh, yeah. That wouldn't be possible either. Are you seeing a pattern here?" 

Moloc glared at him. "I will delight in bringing you to your knees," he said as he lifted his right hand, which was encased in a ribbon device. 

"Oh, you really don't want to do that," Daniel told him. The Goa'uld didn't listen to him. 

A blast wave shot out from the ribbon device. Daniel's hand rose in reaction as his mind deflected the blast, hurling it right back toward man who'd sent it. It struck Moloc, sending him flying backwards. 

The attack on their master spurred the Jaffa into retaliating. Sensing the staff weapon barrage that was about to come his way, Daniel struck out in a wide sweep, launching every Jaffa in sight into the air to smash against trees, into brush, and into the Jaffa behind them. 

Then, all of a sudden, a hail of bullets and staff weapon blasts began issuing from either side of the tent to strike Moloc's Jaffa. Daniel dove through the tent and out the back to join his teammates, Bra'tac, Ishta, Rya'c and the newly arrived SG-3 and 5, who were all positioned behind the edge of the slope. 

Unable to see their attackers in the darkness of night, the return fire of Moloc's Jaffa had little effectiveness, whereas they, cast in the light of the torches, were easy targets. Some of the Jaffa retreated further into the woods and out of the light, but others, seeking to reach and defend their master kept pressing forward. 

As for Moloc, he was keeping his head down and trying to make it into the trees, furious that he was being forced to retreat. Though his personal shield protected him from the bullets and staff weapon blasts, the weapon fire was too intense for him to get to his feet. 

Then, quite unexpectedly, the choice was taken out of his hands. An invisible force grabbed hold of him by the throat and lifted him several feet to dangle helplessly in the air. Choking and clawing at hands that were not there, he struggled ineffectually. 

Seeing what was happening, his Jaffa gradually stopped firing to stare, stunned, at the sight of their great master being held suspended in the air, as helpless as a fish dangling on the end of a line. 

"Jaffa!" Daniel called out. "Surrender or I will kill your master." He destroyed the device that generated the Goa'uld's personal shield. "His personal shield is now no longer working. If you do not drop your weapons and come forward . . ." fire erupted from the ground right beneath Moloc, "I will drop him into the fire. And there is no sarcophagus to revive him on this world." 

"Moloc cannot die!" one Jaffa declared. "He is a god!" 

"Oh, really." 

Daniel repositioned his hold on Moloc, then began lowering the Goa'uld down toward the fire. Soon, the heat from the flames was becoming very uncomfortable to the System Lord. 

"So, Moloc," the archeologist said. "Will you survive the fire or will you die like the thousands of innocent children you had thrown into the flames?" 

"Kill him!" Ishta exclaimed. "Make him suffer the agony of burning flesh! Let his screams accompany those of the children he has murdered!" 

"What's it to be, Moloc?" Daniel asked. "It's up to you." 

"Throw down your weapons!" Moloc called out to his Jaffa, not prepared to die this way. 

Hesitating a moment, the men did as he commanded and began throwing down their staff weapons. Those who were hiding in the trees came forward into the clear area around the tent. 

With SG-3 and 5 remaining at their positions, Daniel rose with others and stepped forward into view. 

"Tell them to get on the ground," Daniel commanded Moloc. 

"Do it," the Goa'uld snarled, furious but smart enough to recognize that, at this moment, he could not afford to be defiant. He would wait until the right moment to turn the tables and bring Dan'yar down. 

Obeying their master's command, the Jaffa got down on their bellies. 

In the next instant, Moloc was falling, descending toward the fire. He cried out in fear, but, as he reached the flames, they were no longer there. He landed with a thud on the patch of scorched earth. The ribbon device was ripped from his hand and went flying into Daniel's grasp. 

"I would advise that you not consider commanding your Jaffa to attack," Teal'c stated. "I once saw the blackened remains of a drone warrior of Anubis that Dan'yar killed with no more than a thought. It is within his power to do the same to you before a single shot was fired." 

"You cannot escape from this planet," Moloc declared. "Many Jaffa loyal to me guard the Stargate." 

"I think you're forgetting that many Jaffa loyal to you guarded the gate before," Daniel responded. 

Bra'tac smiled. "And where are they now, great Moloc? Hmm?" 

Keeping part of his attention on the Goa'uld, Daniel began telepathically lifting the staff weapons off the ground and launching them into the air to go sailing over the edge of the hill. The Jaffa watched, captivated by the seemingly magical sight. 

Daniel got on his radio. "Come on out, guys." 

The two SG teams left their position and came into the light, P-90's aimed at the enemy Jaffa. 

Daniel turned his gaze upon Moloc. "Get up." 

"No mere human commands a Goa'uld," the man responded in defiance. 

Daniel sighed and psychically forced him to his feet in a rather ungainly and anything _but_ regal fashion. 

"Shall we try this again?" the archeologist asked. "I want you to walk over to me. Or do I need to drag you?" 

Fuming, Moloc walked over to Daniel with his head held high. 

"Thank you. Now, turn around." 

Giving Daniel a long, heated glare, the Goa'uld did as he was told. The archeologist told Teal'c to bind Moloc's hands. 

Daniel then addressed the Goa'uld's Jaffa. "All right, we're leaving now, and we're taking your master with us. Don't try to follow us. If you attempt to stop us, he will be killed." 

One of the Jaffa rose to his knees. "Dan'yar. I wish to go with you," he said. "Long have I had doubts of Moloc's godhood, and, now, I see that he is no god at all. You are the one with true power." 

"Traitor!" Moloc yelled. "You betray your god!" 

Another Jaffa also rose to a kneeling position. "Ther'ak is right. You are no god. Dan'yar has defeated you. He is far more a god than you could ever be." 

A third Jaffa, then a fourth rose and made similar statements. 

Bra'tac stepped forward. "All those who now see the Goa'uld for the false gods they are and wish to be free step forward." 

The four Jaffa who had spoken got to their feet and came up to the group. They were joined by three others. Moloc began cursing them. The curses were cut off as Teal'c gagged him. 

Daniel turned to the ones who were still on the ground. "Okay, as for the rest of you, I want you to stay where you are until the sun rises." He looked over his shoulder at his friends and allies. "Let's go." 

As SG-3 and 5 kept the enemy Jaffa covered, everyone else went to the edge of the slope and started downward. The two SG teams followed a few seconds later. The moon had finally risen, making the going easier. 

They made their way to the trees that had been their hiding place. Bra'tac and Rya'c went inside. They came back out a short while later with the injured rebel Jaffa, who, fortunately, were both conscious now, though very weak. Kar'yn, who had been watching over them, was in the rear. 

Daniel told two of the new additions to the rebellion to take over the burden of helping the injured men. He knew that none of them could be fully trusted yet, so it was better for two of them to be occupied with helping the injured than for Bra'tac and Rya'c to do so. 

With Daniel in the lead, his senses scanning for Jaffa in the area, they headed for the gate. It was not long before they encountered some. Now that secrecy was no longer an issue, Daniel didn't have to be subtle. As soon as they came into sight, he sent them sprawling headlong on the ground. They were then rendered unconscious. 

Four more times, they ran into patrols with similar results, although a couple Jaffa did manage to get off shots, which did no harm. 

Finally, they reached a spot where they could see the Stargate. They crouched behind some shrubbery. In the moonlight, Daniel counted around fifty Jaffa. 

He turned to Harper. "Get the others down here." 

The leader of SG-5 got on the radio to the member of his team who had stayed with the Hak'tyl warriors to watch the gate. 

"So, how are we going to do this?" Sam asked. 

"Well, there really are only two ways," Daniel replied. "One is to put on a big show like we did in the beginning. The other is to walk up to them, dragging Moloc along, and tell them the same thing we did those other Jaffa." 

"Personally, I vote for the big show," Reynolds said. "Scaring the shit out of them works a whole lot faster than convincing them that their god is vulnerable and they should do what we say." 

"I agree," Bra'tac said. "With a force of that size, there may be many who will seek to save Moloc and believe that they can overpower us." 

"I am in agreement with Bra'tac," Teal'c stated. 

"As am I," said Ishta. 

"Yep, me too," declared Sam. She studied Daniel. "Will it be a problem?" 

"No, I'm fine." He nodded. "Okay, a show it is." 

As soon as the others had arrived and were filled in, Daniel got to his feet and began walking forward. Several Jaffa soon saw him and shouted a warning to others, and a few dozen staff weapons were aimed at him. Daniel came to a stop and lifted his hand. The Jaffa stumbled backwards as the fires of hell rose up and blazed toward them. Most ran, fleeing past the Stargate, which was the only way they could go. The flames pursued them a hundred feet beyond the ring, then vanished. 

Daniel's attention focused on the Jaffa who had dived to the ground instead of running. 

"My name is Dan'yar!" he called out. "Drop your weapons and leave. I don't wish to harm you, but I will if any of you try to attack me. It will do you no good to try. Your weapons will not harm me." 

It was no surprise that a few tried. Daniel deflected the shots and took care of the ones who fired, sweeping them off the ground and throwing them backwards. He hoped there wouldn't be many more. The headache had returned with a vengeance. 

"I say again. There is no need for you to die, but, if death is what you want," Daniel lifted his hand and created one of the small fireballs that were so effective at making a point, "I can give it to you." 

Unfortunately, one of the Jaffa decided to be a hero. He got to his feet and stepped forward. "I would rather die than betray my--" His voice choked off, and he toppled forward to lie still on the ground. 

"Any more?" Daniel asked. 

Thankfully, the naturally superstitious minds of the Jaffa began working in Daniel's favor. Those who were still on the ground let go of their weapons, got to their feet and started backing away. As for the ones Daniel had chased away with the fire, they had apparently decided that discretion was the better part of valor, which was quite an achievement for the average Jaffa. 

Daniel got on the radio. "Okay, let's get out of here. They're cooperating now, but I don't know how long that will last. Oh, and don't let them see Moloc. Some of them could change their minds if they realize we have him." 

With Moloc hidden in the rear, the party came up to Daniel, who was watching the enemy Jaffa closely. The unarmed Jaffa had all retreated to a spot around a dozen yards beyond the Stargate and had been joined by some of the ones who were still armed. All total, there were around thirty in the group, and, if they suddenly decided to attack, it could cause a problem. 

Sam retrieved the control crystal and, working as fast as possible, placed it back in the DHD. She then dialed Earth. The wormhole connected, and she sent the IDC code. 

Unfortunately, at that moment, one of Moloc's Jaffa spotted the Goa'uld in the light cast by the event horizon. 

"They have Moloc!" he yelled. "We must protect our god!" 

"Crap," Daniel cursed. "Run for it!" 

The Jaffa troops began charging, firing what weapons they had. Daniel chose to devote all of his power to shielding himself and the others. Thankfully, the activated Stargate blocked most of the blasts. 

A faint cry of pain from a female voice told him that one of the blasts had gotten through. Unable look back without breaking his concentration, Daniel stopped partway up the stairs and yelled at everyone to get through the gate. They rushed past him, Moloc now in the very undignified position of being flung over Teal'c's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Daniel was alarmed to see Rya'c hurry by with Kar'yn in his arms. 

The archeologist was the last one to go through, striking briefly at the closest Jaffa and throwing them back into the ones behind as he rushed into the event horizon. 

"Close the iris!" he yelled as he came out the other side. The technician did not delay in doing so. A moment later, they heard the sound of several impacts on the iris. 

Daniel made his way down the ramp to where Rya'c sat on the floor, an unconscious Kar'yn in his arms. A staff weapon blast marred her chest. 

Rya'c lifted tear-filled eyes to Daniel. "Please. You must help her." 

Daniel knelt beside the girl. She was alive, but wouldn't be for long if something wasn't done. 

"Lay her down," the archeologist said. Rya'c obeyed and watched as Daniel laid his hand over the wound and closed his eyes. 

Seconds passed as the gaping would began to heal, internal damage mending, ravaged flesh becoming whole. When Daniel as last lifted his hand, the injury was gone. 

Kar'yn's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at Rya'c, who scooped her into his arms and held her tight. 

Feeling weak and shaky, Daniel looked up at the others. The first pair of eyes he happened to meet were Moloc's, which were filled with shock. 

"You healed her with no device," one of the Jaffa who had rebelled against Moloc murmured. 

He and his fellows went to one knee and bowed their heads low toward Daniel. 

"You are surely a god," one of them whispered. 

Daniel sighed tiredly. "No, I'm not, and please get up." 

The men hesitated. 

"Rise, brothers," Bra'tac said. "He speaks the truth. He is no god," his eyes went to Daniel, "though he is very powerful indeed." 

Just then, Janet and her team came hurrying in. As the two injured male Jaffa were loaded onto gurneys, the doctor looked around. 

"We were told that there were three wounded." 

Kar'yn got to her feet with Rya'c. She smiled. "Now, there are only two." 

Janet looked down at Daniel, her sharp eyes spotting the signs that he'd overdone it yet again. 

"Maybe I still need the third gurney." 

Daniel got to his feet, albeit a little unsteadily. "No, I'm all right." 

"Uh huh. I'll be waiting for you in the infirmary." 

Janet and the other medical personnel left with their patients. 

Jack entered and looked around at everyone. 

"Welcome back. I'm guessing things got a little exciting." His eyes focused on the Goa'uld. "And you must be Moloc." He looked the guy up and down. "You're lucky. At least you got to keep your clothes. Baal wasn't so fortunate." Jack turned to the archeologist. "Daniel. He doesn't even have a red bow. Didn't have time to wrap him?" 

"No. Sorry." 

"Well . . . it's the thought that counts." Jack gestured at some of the SF's who'd come in. "Take him away." He then studied the seven male Jaffa with the symbol of Moloc on their foreheads. "New recruits?" 

"So they say," Bra'tac replied. 

"Ah. Well, we've got a very nice room where they can hang out for a while." He told the remaining SF's to take the Jaffa to the isolation quarters. 

Jack's gaze fastened upon Daniel, who was starting to look pale and clearly had a whopper of a headache. "Okay. Off you go to the infirmary. That goes for you, too, Carter, Teal'c. As for the rest of you." He sniffed loudly. "I'm thinking shower." 

Once Daniel, Teal'c and Sam got to the infirmary, the archeologist took off his shoes and laid on a bed, figuring that he might as well get some rest while he waited for Janet to come scold him out. 

Sometime later, he opened his eyes to the realization that he'd fallen asleep. He looked at the clock and was surprised to see that three hours had passed. 

"Welcome back," Janet said, coming up to the bed. "You fell asleep before I got a chance to give you the lecture." 

"Sorry. You can give it to me now, if you want to." 

"No, I'm not going to bother. Sam filled me in on everything. So, how are you feeling? An honest answer please." 

"Still a little tired. My head still hurts, but not too bad." 

Janet nodded. "I'd say that more sleep is all you need. You can either stay here or--" 

"I'll go to my quarters." 

Daniel went to the quarters he shared with Sam and found her asleep in bed. After washing up in the bathroom, he undressed down to his boxers and slipped under the covers next to her. She stirred and awakened. 

"Hey," she said with a sleepy smile. 

Daniel kissed her. "Hey." Hey pulled her into the circle of his arms, and she snuggled against him. "So, did I miss the debriefing?" 

"No. Considering the late hour and the fact that the mission commander was busy catching z's in the infirmary, the general postponed it. It's scheduled for eight a.m." 

Just then, Daniel's stomach growled fiercely. 

Sam chuckled. "It sounds like someone is demanding your attention." 

"I haven't eaten since lunch." 

"I grabbed a quick snack before going to bed. You want to go get something in the commissary?" 

Daniel pulled her closer, nuzzling her hair. "Mmm. No, this feels too good. I'm more tired than I am hungry. My stomach will just have to wait till morning." 


	35. Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

By the time morning came, Daniel's stomach was very unhappy indeed and being quite vociferous about it. He and Sam had a big breakfast, then went off to the debriefing. 

Jack was not thrilled with how close the mission came to getting a lot of them killed, pointing out that Daniel's abilities had been the only thing that saved them. 

Shortly after that, they reached the point in the narrative when Moloc arrived and everyone decided to go after him. 

"I figured that we were going to need help," Daniel said, "so I told SG-3 and 5 to join us, leaving the Hak'tyl and one of Harper's men to watch the gate. The woods were still full of enemy Jaffa, so I guided them in." 

"How?" Jack asked. 

"I used my ability to see things that are happening elsewhere and guided them through a route that would avoid the patrols." 

"It was really quite something," Harper said. "He kept telling us to turn this way or that. We never saw a single Jaffa." 

"It enabled us to cover the distance pretty quickly," Reynolds added. 

Daniel resumed speaking. "I guided them for as long as I could, then I had to stop so that we could get into position. We climbed the slope and waited just below the edge. Then Moloc arrived. I knew that, if we delayed much longer, his Jaffa would probably find us. SG-3 and 5 were close, but there was still the slope for them to climb, so I decided to . . . stall for time." 

"Oh, I'm not gonna like this, am I," Jack said. "This is going to be something like you standing in the flight path of an Al'Kesh's bombing run." 

Daniel responded with a bland expression. "No, Jack. There weren't any Al'Kesh." 

The general glared at him. "Just tell me and get it over with." 

"I confronted Moloc and introduced myself." 

"You . . . introduced yourself." 

"As Dan'yar, of course." 

"Oh, of course. So, you just stood there, in front of all those well-armed Jaffa, plus a Goa'uld that I'm betting was pretty pissed off, and . . . introduced yourself." 

"Yep." 

Jack held onto his temper. "And how did Moloc respond to this introduction?" 

"Oh, we chatted for a little while, then he tried to blast me with his ribbon device." 

"Did he now? How very rude of him." 

"Yes, I thought so, too, which is why I returned the favor, or, rather sent the blast right back at him." 

"Knocked the Goa'uld right on his ass," Harper said with a grin. 

"His Jaffa objected, and I knocked them back." 

"SG-3 and 5 were with us at that point, and we all opened fire on the Jaffa," Sam explained. 

They recounted the rest of the confrontation and how Daniel put an end to it. 

"Oh, I'd have loved to see that," Jack said. 

"It was a most satisfying sight," Teal'c said with a smile. 

After Jack was given the rest of the report, he sat in silence for a few seconds. "Well, you managed to catch another one and without a single casualty, a permanent one, that is. Good job. I'll expect all of your reports by the end of the day. Dismissed . . . all except for you, Daniel." 

Figuring that he was about to get his ear chewed off, Daniel stayed where he was as the others filed out of the room. 

"Daniel?" 

"Yes, Jack?" 

"Answer me this. What the hell were you thinking?!" 

Daniel sighed. "Like I said, I was stalling for time." 

"And what if all those Jaffa had decided to open up on you the second you stuck your head out?" 

"I was a lone, unarmed man, and Moloc was there. The Jaffa wouldn't have opened fire without his command. I knew that he'd be curious about who I was and would want to interrogate me." 

"And what if you'd been wrong?" 

"I'd have sensed it in time to do something. I know I was taking a risk, Jack, but Moloc had ordered his men to start searching, and, if any of them had discovered our location, we'd have been in trouble. I knew that I only had to cause a delay for a minute or so, and I couldn't think of another way to do it." 

Jack let out a sigh. "Fine. But mark my words, Daniel. One of these days, you're gonna give me a heart attack. Of course, then, you'll just heal me, so I guess it doesn't really matter much." He waved his hand. "Go on. Get out of here." 

Daniel got to his feet. 

"Oh, about that Aron guy," Jack said. "We've had him confined in one of the isolation rooms on 22. I didn't think it would be polite to put him in a cell if it turned out he was innocent. Besides, the brig is very, very crowed right now. In fact, we had to convert some of the unused rooms on Level 17 to holding cells. What we're going to do with all those Jaffa is a mystery to me." 

"I don't know either. Some may decide to join the rebellion, especially after they find out that we defeated Moloc. As for the rest, if we let them go, they'll just end up being absorbed into the army of whatever Goa'uld takes over Moloc's territory." 

"And there's no point in letting that happen." 

"No. I guess we'll have to figure something out. What about the guys who already rebelled?" 

"They're in another isolation room." 

"And Moloc?" 

"He's in a cell that's in a different room from the others. We figured that if we put him in the same room as his loyal followers, he might incite them into causing trouble." 

"Good idea." 

Daniel went to his office and found a small crowd there, consisting of his teammates, Bra'tac, Ishta, Rya'c and Kar'yn. 

"So, how bad was it?" Sam asked. 

"Oh, not so bad," the archeologist replied. "I was able to calm him down." 

Bra'tac smiled. "I must tell you, Daniel Jackson, that, in all my one hundred and forty years, never has anything filled me with greater pleasure than being with you in that battle. It was a glorious thing to behold. It will stay bright in my memory for the rest of my days." 

"It is no wonder that your name is on the tongue of every Jaffa and that many have rebelled because of you," Ishta said. "To see Moloc humiliated in such a way brought me great pleasure." 

"I'd much prefer that they were all rebelling simply because they want to be free. I can't help but worry about the ramifications of being used as a reason for some of them turning against the Goa'uld." 

Bra'tac nodded. "Yes, I have spoken with the Jaffa who rebelled against Moloc yesterday. Despite my earlier words, they spoke repeatedly of you and your power with the same tones of reverence I have heard from the lips of Jaffa whose belief in the godhood of their master is absolute." 

Daniel let out a sigh. "Do you think I should talk to them?" 

"I fear it may be of no use." 

"Maybe if they knew who I really was. . . ." 

"No, I do not think that is wise." 

"Do you still think that some of them could be putting on an act?" Sam asked. 

"I am still unsure of that, but, even if they are all being truthful, I feel that it would be best not to entrust them with the true identity of Dan'yar." 

"Well, sooner or later, we're going to have to determine if they are being honest," Daniel said. "And there is one person that do I need to visit: Aron." 

"To learn if he is the traitor," Teal'c surmised. 

"Yeah." 

"How will you do that?" Rya'c asked. 

"The same way I found out that Moloc's Jaffa arrived on the planet through the Stargate, not by ship. I'll take a look into his past. If he's the traitor, I should see something that will confirm it." 

Teal'c's son walked up to Daniel. "I had no chance to thank you for the life of my Kar'yn yesterday. There is nothing I could ever do to repay the debt I owe you." 

"You don't owe me a thing, Rya'c," Daniel told him. 

Kar'yn gave Daniel a hug. "Thank you from me as well." 

Ishta grasped Daniel's arm in a Jaffa greeting. "And from me." 

Daniel nodded his head at them. He left a few minutes later to go change his clothes and leave his glasses in his office, figuring that it would still be a good idea to keep his real identity hidden from Aron. He met his teammates, Bra'tac and Ishta at the room where Aron was being held. The man stood as they entered. 

"Were you victorious?" he asked. 

Ishta smiled. "Yes, even more than you know. Not only did we rescue our brothers who still lived, we also brought Moloc to his knees. He has been captured." 

Aron's eyes lit up. "Moloc is ours?" 

"Indeed he is," Teal'c replied, smiling in satisfaction. 

"No more children will die at his command," Ishta declared. 

Aron smiled. "Then our battle had been won!" The joy on his face dimmed. "If only that victory had come in time to save my daughter." 

"Your daughter was sacrificed?" Daniel asked, feeling for the man. 

"Yes, two years ago." 

"I'm sorry. Um, Aron, we need to be sure that you're not the traitor." 

The man nodded. "I will do whatever you ask of me to prove my innocence." 

"Actually, you don't have to do anything. I'm going to take a look into your past. That will show me if you're innocent." 

"Very well." 

Daniel had the man sit in a chair. As the others kept a close eye on the Jaffa, Daniel laid a hand on his shoulder and began the process of looking into the last few days of the man's life. It did not take long for him to find out all he needed to. 

"He's not the traitor," Daniel stated. 

"You are sure?" Ishta asked. 

"Yes. I took a look at what he's done over the past week or so. He was not the one who revealed the location of the meeting." 

Now that they knew that Aron was true to the rebellion, he was released and left with the men who had been guarding his room. They were going to take him to the commissary for some breakfast. 

"What of the seven men who rebelled against Moloc yesterday?" Ishta asked. "They must be tested as well." 

"Yes, but what I did with Aron won't work with them since it wouldn't do any good to look into their pasts." 

"It's too bad you can't read minds," Sam said. "All you'd have to do is take a peek inside their heads." 

"Yeah." Daniel frowned in thought. "There is one thing that might work, but Jack isn't going to like it." 

Daniel was right. Jack did not like his idea. Neither did Sam. But they both admitted that it would probably work. Since no one could come up with a better idea, Jack reluctantly agreed to the plan. 

A while later, Jack accompanied SG-1, Bra'tac and Ishta to the room where the seven Jaffa were being kept. The moment Daniel stepped into the room, all seven men went down on one knee, their heads bowed, an arm crossed over their chests. 

"Dan'yar. You honor us with your presence," one of them said. 

"Thank you, but will you please get up?" Daniel responded, not at all happy with their actions. 

The men hesitated a moment, then rose to their feet. 

Bra'tac stepped forward. "You have claimed that you reject Moloc, that you now know that the Goa'uld are not gods." 

"How could we believe anything else?" one man asked. "We witnessed with our own eyes how Dan'yar defeated and humiliated Moloc. If Moloc was truly a god, he would have struck Dan'yar down." 

"Indeed he would." 

"I would like to speak with each of you privately," Daniel said. He selected one of the men and took him into another room. On the table was a bowl of fruit and a tray of bread, meat and cheese. In clear sight beside the tray was a cutting knife. 

"Please help yourself to some food," he said as he sat down at the table. The man sat across from him, picking up a piece of meat. 

Daniel studied him. "So, tell me a little about yourself." 

Clearly surprised by the request, the Jaffa paused. 

"What's your name?" Daniel asked encouragingly. 

"Cal'nec." 

Daniel asked him some other questions, slowly drawing the man out. At one point in the conversation, Cal'nec picked up the knife to cut off a piece of fruit. As he did, Daniel selected a piece of cheese and got to his feet. He walked around the table. He was right next to the Jaffa when he dropped the cheese. He knelt to pick it up, his back to Cal'nec. When he stood, and turned around, the man was busy eating some bread, the knife once again on the table. 

Daniel talked to Cal'nec for a few more minutes, then took him to a third room, where he asked the Jaffa to wait. He left the room and joined his teammates, Jack, Ishta and Bra'tac. 

"Well? How did it go?" Jack asked. 

"He didn't take the bait, and I gave him the perfect opportunity to stab me in the back." 

"Are you certain that he simply chose not to strike against you in favor of another plan?" Bra'tac asked. 

"If you were a Jaffa who was loyal to your Goa'uld master, and you were presented with the opportunity to kill the single greatest enemy of the Goa'uld, the man who attacked and shamed your god, wouldn't you be pretty tempted to take it?" 

"I would." 

"Well, even though my back was turned to him, I was watching him very closely. I also had my senses focused completely on him. He didn't give the slightest hint that he was considering using that knife on me. In fact, he set the knife down as I was turned away from him. He wasn't even watching me. He was busy eating." 

"Daniel, just the thought of you standing there and presenting your back as a target for a guy with a knife who might hate your guts is enough to make me all twitchy," Jack said. 

"Yes, Jack, I know, but like I told you, he'd never have been able to get that knife anywhere near me." 

"So, this means that he's sincere?" Sam asked. 

Daniel nodded. "Of course, I can't be a hundred percent certain, but it definitely looks that way." 

"Then it is time to test another," Teal'c said. 

Daniel chose a second Jaffa and took him to the room. This man did not pick up the knife. After talking with him for a few minutes, Daniel decided to go ahead and perform the test. He did the same thing as before, selecting a piece of food, then dropping it on the floor. But, this time, the results were different. With his mind's eye, Daniel saw the man's hand move for the knife, an expression of hatred on his face. The hand stopped before reaching the knife. It hesitated, then moved away. But it didn't matter. Daniel had seen enough. 

He stood and turned around, staring at the man. "Did you think I wouldn't find out that you're lying?" 

The man looked startled. "Lying? I have spoken no lies, Dan'yar." 

"Then why is it that you just thought about trying to kill me? You even reached for the knife, but then changed your mind." 

Shock and a touch of fear filled the man's eyes. 

"Yes, I saw you, Rey'nis. I have senses that see what the eyes don't. I saw the hatred on your face, and I sensed what you were thinking of doing." 

Realizing that he'd been found out, Rey'nis grabbed for the knife. He was sent tumbling backwards. 

"You insulted my god!" the man snarled from the floor. "You and all Jaffa who have betrayed the gods must die for your sins." 

Daniel didn't bother responding. He knew that someone as fanatical as this man would not listen to anything he could say. Instead, he rendered the Jaffa unconscious and left the room. 

The others could tell right off that something had happened. 

"Uh oh," Sam said. 

"Yeah. He didn't actually try it, but he definitely considered it," Daniel said. 

"His plan must have been to infiltrate the rebel Jaffa," Ishta said, frowning severely. 

"Yeah. I left him unconscious in the room. He needs to be put with the other prisoners." 

After that was done, Daniel took another one of the Jaffa into the room. That man passed the test, as did all the others. They and the first man were released, though a guard would remain with them just to be on the safe side. 

SG-1 went with Jack, Bra'tac and Ishta to the briefing room. 

"So, only one out of six, huh?" the general said. "That's not bad." 

Bra'tac nodded. "It is good that you tested them, Daniel Jackson. If that one who was deceiving us had succeeded in his plans, he could have caused the deaths of many rebel Jaffa." 

"There is another matter to be discussed," Ishta said, "the fate of Moloc." 

The others all looked at each other. 

"It's too bad that we can't get hold of the Tok'ra," Sam said. "They'd take care of him, remove the symbiote from the host." 

"It is unlikely that the host would survive," Teal'c said. "He has been Moloc's host for too long." 

"Moloc must die," Ishta stated. "He must pay for the crimes he committed against my sisters." 

"Well, for the present, we'll just leave him where he is," Jack said. "We all have a wedding to prepare for." He looked at Ishta and Teal'c. "I assume that there is still going to be one." 

The two Jaffa exchanged a glance. It was Teal'c who replied. 

"Yes, O'Neill. The wedding will take place." 

Jack smiled slightly. "Good. Glad to hear it." 

Besides the preparations for the wedding, it was also necessary to find another planet for the Hak'tyl. The next one on the list that had already been made was the most likely candidate, but Daniel thought of a couple of others that might be better. Ishta and some of her warriors went with him to one of them and liked what they saw. 

"You say that this world is unknown by the Goa'uld?" Ka'lel inquired. 

"Well, I don't know if it's completely unknown, but it's not a planet that was on the Abydos cartouche, so, as far as we know, it's not in the Goa'uld, um, database. If they've been here at all, it would have been by ship. The remnants of the civilization that was here are very old, at least five thousand years, and there's no sign that anyone has been here since then. We'll want to send a UAV through to check a wider area, of course." 

Ishta looked around. "It is a good place. There is fresh water, many trees, and I see plentiful signs of game. If this world truly is unknown to the Goa'uld, we will be safe here." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The wedding took place on the following day and went off without a hitch. Afterwards, a small reception was held, complete with cake. 

Jack walked up to Teal'c, who was watching his son and new daughter-in-law. 

"So, how does it feel to know that your kid's a married man now?" 

"I have been thinking a great deal of the years when he was a child. It was not long ago." 

"No, it wasn't, not really. I can still clearly remember the first time I saw the little guy." Jack looked at his friend. "So, you're okay with it all now?" 

"I am, O'Neill. I came to realize that I did not have the right to deny my son the happiness that Kar'yn will give him. She is a good match for him, someone worthy to stand at his side." 

"Yeah, but are you ready to be a grandpa?" 

The tiniest of smiles curved Teal'c's lips. "That I will not know until I am one." 

Jack patted his shoulder. "Well, just between you and me, I think you'll do just fine." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The video and other data from UAV that was sent through to the planet indicated that the region was completely uninhabited. Hak'tyl chose it to be their new home. 

Aron and Ishta were sent through the gate to spread the news of Moloc's defeat and capture. Many already knew. Moloc's Jaffa who returned from the planet had been doing a whole lot of talking. Moloc's forces were presently in an uproar. It probably wouldn't be long before some other Goa'uld stepped in and took over the territories. Knowing this, all members of the rebellion who had remained in Moloc's army to act as spies had fled to join their rebel brothers. 

Without exception, all of Moloc's Jaffa in the rebellion demanded that their former master be put to death. 

It was two days after the wedding when a meeting to discuss the Goa'uld's fate was held in the briefing room. Besides SG-1 and Bra'tac, there were also several members of the Hak'tyl and other former servants of Moloc in attendance. 

"Okay, let's get this thing started," Jack said as he sat down. 

"Moloc must be turned over to us for execution," one man immediately said. "It is our right to serve justice for all the crimes he has committed against us." 

There were sounds and nods of agreement from most of the Jaffa. 

"And how do you intend to execute him?" Daniel asked. 

"He must be made to suffer as our female children have suffered," one of the Hak'tyl said. "Death by fire is the only death befitting what he has done." 

That's what Daniel was afraid they were going to say. "Okay, I know how deeply all of you hate Moloc, but you have to consider that there is an innocent man involved in this, one who doesn't deserve to die, certainly not like that." 

"There is no innocence within Moloc," a man growled. "He is evil and not worthy of mercy." He glared at Daniel. "You are of the Tau'ri. You could not understand how we feel, and you should have no say in this." 

"School your tongue, Del'ek," Bra'tac commanded. "I believe you do not know who it is that you are speaking to. I doubt you would show such disrespect if you knew that he is Dan'yar." 

The Jaffa stiffened, his eyes widening. Sounds of surprise issued from several throats. The manner of everyone at the table who didn't already know who Daniel was changed radically. 

Del'ek bowed his head at Daniel. "My apologies, Dan'yar. I was unaware of your identity." 

"Who I am doesn't matter," Daniel responded. "What I'm saying is true regardless of who's speaking it. Moloc is a symbiote within the body of a human being, a man who has committed no sin against you, who, for all these generations, was even more a slave to Moloc than any of you. He never had the option of rebelling. He had no choice when Moloc used his body to commit all those horrible acts. He was helpless to stop it, powerless to do anything at all." Daniel's gaze hardened. "Do you think he deserves to burn to death for the things the creature inside him did?" 

The Jaffa gathered in the room all glanced at each other. It was Ishta who spoke. 

"No, he does not. Dan'yar is right. We think of Moloc, and we see the face he has worn for all these years, but we forget that what we see is not truly Moloc, but an innocent host forced to do the bidding of the Goa'uld within him." 

"Then what do you propose, Dan'yar," one of the male Jaffa asked. "Imprisonment?" 

Daniel shook his head. "No. It's time for Moloc's host to be given peace. He shouldn't have to suffer anymore. If there was a way to save him, to remove the symbiote without the host dying or being left mentally damaged beyond repair, I would do all I could to make that happen, but there really is no hope for him." 

"Then you are agreeing with execution," Aron said. 

"Yes," Daniel replied reluctantly, "but a humane death, one that will not bring pain to the host." 

Moloc's former servants spoke amongst themselves for several seconds. 

"We agree," Ishta said. "For the sake of the host, we will show mercy to Moloc. We will go now and discuss the manner of his death. Though it will be as painless as possible, it must also be public and leave no doubt in the minds of those who witness it that Moloc is truly dead." 

With the exception of Teal'c and Bra'tac, all of the Jaffa left the room. 

"Well, that went a lot more smoothly than I thought it would," Jack remarked. "Having Dan'yar in a roomful of rebel Jaffa really comes in handy." 

Sam studied Daniel's face. "Daniel, are you all right?" 

The archeologist sighed. "No, not really. I know that there really is no hope for the host, but I still hate the fact that he's going to have to die right along with Moloc. I wish the Asgard could help. We never asked them how well that technology works for humans who have been hosts for a long time." 

"Even if it would work, the Asgard couldn't get involved in this," Sam said. "If they did and the other Goa'uld found out, it could result in a war, and the Asgard couldn't afford that." 

"I know." 

"Daniel, I know how deeply you feel for the hosts," Jack said, "and it's understandable that you'd feel that way. You've had four people you care about become hosts and lost two of them because of it. But it's like you said before. That man deserves to finally be given peace, just like Baal's host did." 

Daniel gave a soft sigh. "Yeah." 

That afternoon, they were told what the Hak'tyl and other Jaffa had decided: beheading. The thought turned Daniel's stomach, but he had to admit that it was the best way, painless, yet very final, and there would definitely be no question that Moloc was dead. No sarcophagus could reattach a severed head. 

"Dan'yar, we would ask that you and the Tau'ri who helped capture Moloc attend the execution," Aron said. 

The members of SG-1 all looked at each other. Neither Daniel nor Sam wanted to witness a man being beheaded, but they couldn't really refuse, especially not Daniel. 

"We'll be there," the archeologist said.

* * *

Yes, I know that a lot of you were probably wondering about this story. Blame the construction workers that erected another writer's block. Though I'm past the block now, other things are going to prevent me from doing much writing, including work and a 10-day vacation. So, expect a good 2 to 3 weeks to pass before the next chapter comes out. 


	36. Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

It was early the next morning that Moloc was taken to the planet where he would be put to death. There was a large crowd there, most of them Jaffa. Among them were the men who had been captured during the rescue of Teal'c, Ishta and Aron. It was decided that, if anything could convince them that the Goa'uld were not gods, it would be seeing their master die before their eyes. They were securely bound and under heavy guard.

SG-1 was there, but Jack was not. This was one time that the general was perfectly happy to have a reason for not going off-world. Daniel wished that he could have stayed on Earth as well. SG-3 and 5 had managed to get out of it because they were on important missions.

Moloc was led from the Stargate to where a low stone pedestal had been placed. The pedestal was equipped with manacles and a metal band that would hold Moloc's head down. Beside it was a powerfully-built Jaffa with a large axe similar in design to the battle axes of the Middle Ages. Daniel couldn't help but think of the axe-bearing medieval executioners. But this executioner wore no black hood.

The Goa'uld already knew before he got there that he was going to be killed. Ishta had made sure of that, visiting his cell to taunt him with his upcoming death

As he was brought to a halt, Moloc called out, "Jaffa! I am your god. Rise against the ones who betray me, and you will be greatly rewarded!"

Some of the prisoners responded by struggling against their bonds, but there was nothing they could do.

"If you are truly a god, then why do you not free yourself?!" called out a rebel Jaffa. "Where is your great power now?!"

Someone else, a Jaffa Daniel recognized as one of the men who recently rebelled against Moloc, said, "If Dan'yar was in your place, he would break the bonds holding him and destroy us all with fire." He sneered at the Goa'uld. "How is that you, a great and powerful god, cannot do the same?"

Jeers and insults began rising from the crowd. Moloc yelled at them to be silent, but they ignored him. Finally, Bra'tac stepped forward and called for silence.

"It is time for Moloc's reign of cruelty be put to an end," he called out.

"Bra'tac, wait," Daniel said. "There's something I need to do first." He turned to Moloc. "For all these centuries, you've prevented your host from speaking. It's time that he be allowed to speak."

Moloc glared at him. "Nothing of the host survives."

Daniel glared right back at him. "I know otherwise, Moloc. When Apophis lay dying, I spoke to his host, gave him comfort. I have spoken to the hosts of other Goa'uld, two of whom were freed from their symbiotes. I know the truth."

Moloc lifted his head defiantly. "My host cannot speak to you. I will not allow it."

"You're not going to have a choice in the matter."

Daniel instructed Teal'c and Bra'tac to hold Moloc tightly. He then pressed his palm against the Goa'uld's forehead and closed his eyes. With his mind, he delved into the body of the man before him. But it was not the host's body that he was interested in, but, rather, the usurper within. It did not take Daniel long to locate the symbiote. The moment he did, he infiltrated its body, a body strange and utterly alien. It took a while for Daniel to understand the Goa'uld's body well enough to figure out how to do what he wanted. Once that knowledge was gained, he struck.

Moloc jerked violently. His knees buckled, and Teal'c and Bra'tac had to hold him up. When the man's head lifted, the arrogance of the Goa'uld was gone from his face. In its place was confusion and fear.

"It's all right," Daniel said gently. "Don't be afraid."

"Where am I?" the man asked. There were several gasps and murmurs at the sound, for it had not been the voice of a Goa'uld. "What is happening?"

"I've freed you from the control of the one who took possession of your body," Daniel replied. "But it's only temporary. I'm sorry that I can't do more."

Tears filled the man's eyes. "I am free?"

Daniel gave him a gentle smile. "Yes, you're free, for a little while. What's your name?"

"I-I-I am Nikias, son of Therapon. For so long, I thought it was a dream, a nightmare that would not end. But then I knew that it was not a dream. The demon inside made me do such horrible things. I could not stop him." He began to sob. "The children. All the innocent children."

His heart aching for the man, Daniel grasped his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Nikias. You did nothing wrong. You were taken against your will, and there's nothing you could have done to stop it."

Nikias looked into his eyes pleadingly. "Please. I do not wish to live. I cannot bear to live with this weight upon me."

"I know, Nikias. It will be all over soon. The demon will be dead, and you will be at peace."

The man smiled at him. "Thank you," he whispered.

Sensing that the symbiote was regaining consciousness, Daniel stepped away. A moment later, the man's eyes glowed, and the face twisted with hatred.

"How dare you strike at me so!" he snarled. "How dare you sully me with your touch. Jaffa! He has committed a great offense against me. Kill him now. I command you!"

This time, there was no response. Most of the witnesses, including the prisoners, had been shaken by what just happened.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel looked at Teal'c and Bra'tac. "It's time."

Ishta came forward and put a gag over Moloc's mouth to prevent the symbiote from seeking to escape that way. The Goa'uld was forced to his knees before the pedestal. He struggled violently as he was bent over and his head laid on the stone. Teal'c held him down as the bindings on the pedestal were put in place, then everyone but the executioner retreated. Moloc struggled a moment longer then grew still, apparently realizing that it was useless.

Daniel backed up several more feet, wishing that he could be just about anywhere else in the galaxy at that moment. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't show weakness. He felt someone take hold of his arm and turned to look at Sam. A silent message of understanding passed between them.

As the axe was lifted, Daniel murmured, "Be at peace, Nikias." And then the axe fell, and, with a single blow, it was over.

"Moloc is dead!" cried a Jaffa. The cry was taken up by others until it became a loud roar.

"I need to get out of here, Sam," Daniel whispered.

"I know. Come on. Let's go."

Not caring what the Jaffa thought, Daniel turned with Sam and walked away, heading for the gate. They were joined a moment later by Teal'c.

"You're not going to stay?" Daniel asked, not looking at him.

"I have no desire to stay, Daniel Jackson. Bra'tac will remain a while longer and return with Ishta and the other Hak'tyl."

The three members of SG-1 returned to Earth. Seeing the look on Daniel's face, Jack asked what was wrong.

"I'll tell you later," the archeologist replied and hurried out of the room.

Jack watched him leave, then faced the others. "What happened?"

Sam sighed sadly. "I don't know how he did it, but Daniel temporarily broke the symbiote's control over the host. The host spoke, sir."

"Whoa. Really?"

"His name was Nikias. For all those years, he was aware of what was going on. He said he thought it was a nightmare at first, but then realized that it was all real." Sam started getting choking up. "He was so devastated, sir, so horrified by what Moloc had made him do."

"He begged to have his life ended," Teal'c said.

"It really hit Daniel hard. I know he must be thinking of Sha're and Sarah and probably Skaara, too."

Jack scrubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah, you're probably right. Go find him, Sam."

Sam went straight to their quarters, figuring that's where Daniel went. She found him sitting on the bed, staring at the floor, his shoulders hunched.

"I don't think he was the first," he said very quietly.

Sam sat beside him on the bed. "What?"

"I don't think Nikias was the first host Moloc took when he came to Earth. I began to think that when I first saw him. Moloc is a Canaanite deity. His first host from Earth would likely have been Canaanite, or an Israelite or one of the other people of that area. Nikias was Greek. I suppose that Moloc could have been in Greece first, but. . . ."

"But you're hoping that Nikias didn't have to suffer for that long."

Daniel's eyes closed. "When they executed him, I wasn't seeing Moloc. I was seeing an innocent man whose life and body were stolen from him so many centuries ago. And it makes me think of Sha're, that her life would have been that same hell if we hadn't put an end to it. And Sarah and Skaara, too. Even Robert." He lifted his eyes to Sam, and she saw the anguish there. "We have to stop it, Sam. We need to free the hosts and make sure that no one else will ever have to suffer through that."

Sam wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. "We will, Daniel. We'll figure out a way."

--------------------------------------------------

When Ishta and the rest of the Hak'tyl returned with Bra'tac, they weren't looking quite as triumphant as one would have expected considering that their mortal enemy was dead. Ishta confessed to Teal'c that seeing the grief of the host and hearing his voice had given her a different perspective on things.

Moloc's execution, as well as the temporary emergence of the host's consciousness, had succeeded in converting quite a few of the prisoners. Until they could be trusted, they wouldn't be allowed to wander free, but they would all be remaining with the rebel Jaffa. As for the rest of the prisoners, those who still clung to their beliefs, they were put back in the brig.

Now that Moloc was dead, everyone focused most of their attention on setting up the new Hak'tyl settlement. Eager to have his base free of horses and all the other stuff, Jack sent a large team to the planet to help the women.

Daniel was in his office, studying some artifacts recently brought through, when Ishta came in.

"Hey. I thought you'd be on the planet," he said.

"I have just come from there. I am organizing the transportation of some of our supplies and other goods." The woman came further into the room. "I have not spoken with you since Moloc's execution. I know that it troubled you, that your heart was with the host. Your compassion for the host appeared to be very deep."

Daniel nodded. "How much do you know about me? Do you know about my wife?"

"No."

"She was taken to be a host for Apophis' wife, Amaunet." He paused. "Teal'c was in the group that stole her and was the one who selected her to be presented to Apophis and Amaunet."

"This I did not know. If I had been in your place, my hatred for Teal'c would have been great."

"In the beginning, I wanted to hate him, but I knew that he really had no choice, that it was Apophis who was to blame."

"What became of your wife?" Ishta asked.

"Teal'c was forced to kill her to save my life."

"Yet you and he are friends and teammates."

"Yes. It's hard to explain, but Sha're, my wife, managed to communicate with me, and she told me that I needed to forgive Teal'c for her death. It wasn't easy, but I did. Along with Sha're, her brother, Skaara, was also taken. He was made a host to Klorel, Apophis' son. He was eventually freed. Then, a couple of years after Sha're's death, two friends of mine were taken as hosts at two different times. My friend Robert was killed almost right away, but Sarah was taken by Osiris and was his host until last year. She's still having emotional problems because of it. This is why I feel so much for the hosts, Ishta, because four people I cared about suffered that fate. I can never look at a Goa'uld and see just the Goa'uld. I always see the host, too."

"I understand," Istha said. "For all my life, whenever I saw Moloc, it was the Goa'uld I saw. Never for a moment did I think of the host. Yet, when you made it possible for the host to speak, when I saw the tears on his face, a face I have hated for so very long, I could not look at Moloc the same way. My hatred for him was even deeper because of the suffering he had caused his host for so many years, yet, when he was put to death, it did not feel like it was a great triumph, for I grieved for the host who died with him."

"Yeah." Daniel sighed. "Me too."

"I wish you to know that if I am ever in the position to bring death to another Goa'uld, I will attempt to do so quickly so that the host will not suffer."

"Thank you, Ishta. I'm glad to know that."

The woman inclined her head. "I must go now. We will speak again before we say our goodbyes."

Daniel was called to Jack's office a short time later. He found Sam and Teal'c already there when he arrived.

"I decided it was about time that we figured out what we're going to do with all those Jaffa prisoners you so kindly saddled us with," Jack said. "Any ideas?"

"We must not allow them to enter the service of another Goa'uld," Teal'c responded.

"Agreed. I don't think that killing them is an option."

"Definitely not," Daniel agreed.

"What if we took them someplace?" Sam said.

"Where, for instance?" Jack asked.

"Well, we could take them to a planet and sabotage the DHD so that they couldn't escape, sort of like what was done with the fundamentalist rebels that we captured on Tegalus. Or we could take them in the Prometheus to a planet with no Stargate."

"The problem is that they'd all eventually die when their symbiotes mature," Daniel pointed out. "We'd have to provide them with a big quantity of Tretonin."

"Actually, to be on the safe side, it would be best to remove their symbiotes beforehand, but I'm guessing that the rebel Jaffa wouldn't like that idea."

"To take a Jaffa's Prim'ta against his will would be an act without honor," Teal'c confirmed.

"And the last thing we want to do is tick off the rebel Jaffa," Jack responded.

"As long as we never went through to that planet again, it shouldn't be a problem," Daniel said. "But we'd have to make certain that the DHD could not be fixed and that there isn't any intelligent life on the planet."

Sam nodded. "A UAV wouldn't be enough. The planet would have to be scanned by a ship in orbit."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't a Goa'uld take over a Jaffa that no longer has one in his pouch?"

"Actually, that's not the case, sir," Sam replied. "Early on, that's what we thought, and even a lot of Jaffa thought so, too, but we learned that the things that make it impossible for a Goa'uld to take over a Jaffa while it's carrying a larva are still an issue even when there is no longer a larva. The chances of the Goa'uld and Jaffa surviving the blending are extremely small."

"So, we don't have to worry about all those Goa'uld taking over the Jaffa once they're adults?"

"I don't think so. Of course, if the time ever comes that we can set the Jaffa free, we'll make sure that none of them have been Goa'ulded."

Jack nodded. "All right, then. You guys find a planet, and we'll send a ship to scope it out. Try to pick one that won't take more than a couple of days to fly to. Teal'c, do you think the rebel Jaffa would have a scout ship that they'd let us borrow if it was Dan'yar who asked? I'd rather not send the Prometheus, if we don't have to, and sending our super-duper Al'Kesh is out of the question."

"I believe that such a thing would be possible, O'Neill."

--------------------------------------------------

Four days later, the final decision was made on where the Jaffa prisoners would be taken. A team sent in a scout ship found no signs of intelligent life, no visible habitations nor any other indications that an intelligent species lived there. Of course, it was possible that, like with the Unas, someone could be living in caves, but, out of the three planets that were examined, it appeared to be the one least likely to have intelligent life on it. The Jaffa would have to survive the wild, primitive conditions, feed themselves by hunting game, growing crops and gathering edible native planets and fruits, but at least they would be free. Once the Goa'uld had been defeated, the Jaffa left on that planet would be given the option of remaining there or being taken somewhere else.

Food and supplies were taken to the planet, enough to last for three months. There were also seeds and other things the Jaffa would need to plant and tend a vegetable garden, as well as tools for constructing shelters. There were plenty of trees in the area, so building materials would not be a problem.

It was under a heavy guard that the prisoners were taken to the gate room. They did not know anything about what was going to be done with them, it having been decided that it would be better to keep them in the dark.

SG-1, Bra'tac and three other SG teams went through the gate with the Jaffa. The prisoners looked about at the piles of crates.

"What is this place?" one of them asked.

"It's your new home," Daniel replied. "We can't allow you to go free since many of you would then go into the service of another Goa'uld. That left us with two options: kill you or put you somewhere that would prevent you from being added to the army of another Goa'uld. After we leave, the dialing device for the gate will be destroyed. You won't be able to leave this planet."

"Then you _are_ dooming us to death," another Jaffa said. "When the Goa'uld within us mature, we will die, for there will be none to replace them."

Daniel pointed at a small crate. "Inside that crate is a drug called Tretonin. It enables a Jaffa to live without a Goa'uld larva. If any of you want to continue living after the larva you carry matures, all you need to do is take it. There are instructions inside." He looked about at the prisoners. "You can make a life for yourselves here. It won't be easy, but at least you'll be alive, and you'll be free, in a manner of speaking."

"What good is freedom if you will not allow us to serve our gods?" a Jaffa asked. "You killed Moloc, and, now, you deny us the right to serve another. Better that we had died in battle than live this existence to which you have doomed us."

Teal'c glared at the man. "If death is what you prefer, if you do not have the strength to live without the Goa'uld, then there are many ways in which you can take your own life. The end of the Goa'uld is drawing near. When that day comes, all Jaffa will need to learn how to live as free men. There will be no place for the weak or the cowardly in that new life."

"I will live," declared Rey'nis, the man who had pretended to rebel and had failed Daniel's "test". He was staring not at Teal'c, but at the archeologist, anger and hatred in his eyes. "I will live to see the day that you are humbled and destroyed by the Goa'uld. You are abandoning us here, but the gods will find us and liberate us. And then we will rejoin the fight against the enemies of our gods." The man's gaze narrowed. "You think that none of us know who you really are, but I know your secret, you who call yourself Dan'yar. You are a pretender, a weak Tau—"

The man never got the chance to finish his sentence. With lightning speed, Bra'tac wielded his staff weapon and shot the man through the heart. Rey'nis was dead before he hit the ground. Stunned by the action, Daniel stared at his body, then looked at the man who'd killed him. Showing no emotion, Bra'tac closed the head of his staff weapon and resumed his former relaxed yet alert posture.

Everyone had been taken by surprise, and there was silence for several seconds. Teal'c was the first to speak.

"Are there any others who wish to die this day?" None of the prisoners replied.

Having recovered from the shock, Daniel said, "There's a river around half a mile to the southwest," he pointed in the right direction, "and a nearby meadow. I think you'll find it to be the best place for you to set up your encampment. All the tools and supplies you'll need to construct shelters are in the crates. There's also enough food to last you for three months and things to help you catch fish and other wildlife. You can make a life for yourselves here. When the day comes that the Goa'uld are gone, we'll come back and offer you the chance to leave. Until that day, this will be your home." He glanced at Sam. "Dial the gate."

With a nod, she complied. Once the IDC had been sent, she turned to the Jaffa. "This DHD is armed with explosives. The moment this wormhole shuts down, the explosives will detonate, so you'd better move away."

Their weapons all trained on the Jaffa, SG-1, Bra'tac and the other SG teams ascended the steps to the Stargate. With a second warning from Daniel, the Jaffa backed away from the DHD, although he could tell that some of them were tempted to do something stupid, like attacking. He and his teammates were the last to step through.

"Shut the iris!" Sam called out as they emerged from the other side of the wormhole. The iris was immediately closed. Not three seconds later, there was a single thump. Daniel closed his eyes at the knowledge that one Jaffa had chosen to take the chance . . . and had lost the gamble.

The wormhole shut down, not only breaking the connection between the two worlds but also triggering the detonator attached to the C4 within the DHD. There would be no way that the Jaffa could repair the damage, even if they had the knowledge of how to do it.

SG-1 and Bra'tac went up to join Jack in the control room.

"So, how did it go?"

Daniel glanced at Bra'tac, but said nothing.

"It was necessary for me to kill one of the prisoners," the Master Jaffa stated.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"To protect Daniel Jackson's identity."

"The Jaffa had apparently figured out who Daniel really was," Sam explained.

Jack looked at Daniel, who was staring at the floor with a frown on his face. "All right. Go get your post-mission checkups. You can explain everything in the debriefing in one hour. I'll want you there, too, Bra'tac."

Daniel didn't say much during the hour that followed. Janet could tell that something was up, but didn't ask about it.

It was on the way to the debriefing that the archeologist's teammates finally said something to him about what happened.

"You are displeased about Bra'tac's actions," Teal'c stated.

Daniel sighed. "I do understand why he did it. He thought he was protecting me. I just wish he hadn't done it."

"Daniel, I'm not happy about what happened either," Sam said, "but what if, by some miracle, a passing Goa'uld ship does discover those Jaffa and rescues them? Rey'nis would have revealed what he knew about you."

"Bra'tac took the correct actions," Teal'c declared.

They said nothing more as they entered the briefing room. Bra'tac was already there. He searched Daniel's face, but said nothing.

Jack walked in and took his seat. "Okay, time for explanations."

A few minutes later, he had the whole story.

"So, how can we be sure that guy didn't tell any of the others what he knew about Daniel?" Jack asked.

"We can't, I'm afraid," Sam replied. "From what he said, I'm guessing that he didn't, but I could be wrong."

"It is likely that Rey'nis did not reveal his knowledge to the others," Teal'c said. "He would wish to keep it for himself so that he would be the one who had the honor of revealing it to the Goa'uld."

Bra'tac nodded. "Teal'c is correct. He would hoard that knowledge, hoping that it would elevate him in the eyes of the Goa'uld to whom he told it. It was only his anger and hatred that caused him to reveal what he did."

"Then I guess we should all be glad that the guy lost his temper," Jack said.

A short while later, Daniel was in his office. He sensed Bra'tac's approach long before the man appeared in the doorway.

"You are angered that I killed Rey'nis," the Jaffa said.

"No. I'm not angry, Bra'tac. I just wish you hadn't done it."

"I would do it again if it would keep safe the knowledge of who you are, Daniel Jackson. The danger Rey'nis posed was too great for me not to take action."

Daniel gave a sigh. "I know, and I do understand. And I'm grateful that you stopped him from revealing what he knew. If he'd succeeded in telling the others. . . ."

"We would have had no choice but to kill them all or return them to their cells until the Goa'uld were no longer a threat."

Neither of those options would be one that Daniel would have wanted to happen.

"I will be leaving soon," Bra'tac said. "It is time for me to return to my task of bringing more Jaffa into the rebellion. Moloc's defeat and execution will be a mighty tool in my efforts."

Daniel nodded. "I understand that the Hak'tyl have everything pretty much set up in their new home."

"Yes. The last of them will be leaving today. I will go through with them, then leave from there to my next destination."

--------------------------------------------------

Teal'c and Rya'c walked side-by-side toward the gate room.

"A legend speaks of a place near where the mountains meet the sea, of hidden pools beneath majestic waterfalls," Rya'c said.

"It is no legend. I have seen it with my own eyes. You have chosen the location for your Shimroa very well."

"Master Bra'tac said this is where you took my mother."

Teal'c smiled softly in remembrance. "Indeed." He stopped walking. "Rya'c." His son halted and turned to face him. "I can think of no better mate for you than Kar'yn, and I am certain your mother would have felt the same."

"Thank you," Rya'c responded with deep emotion.

They clasped shoulders, then shared a hug.

"Before your departure, there is a matter that bears discussion," Teal'c said after they'd drawn apart.

"Father, I am aware of the ways between a man and a woman."

"Good. Then you are prepared for the Rite of Ornoc."

That surprised and alarmed the young Jaffa. "Surely it is not still expected."

The expression on Teal'c's face was firm and unyielding. "On the first Eve of Shimroa. My advice is that the knife be as sharp as possible."

Rya'c thought about the rite and how it was something he really did not want to do. "Perhaps Kar'yn is right. Not all of the old traditions are worth holding onto."

A smile slowly broke across Teal'c's face. "Indeed."

They resumed walking.

"And what of you and Ishta?" Rya'c asked.

"What of us?"

"Well, your relationship would be much easier if you both admit you are in love . . . for us all."

"Perhaps one day . . . when I am as wise as you."

The comment surprised Rya'c, and he paused at the gate room entrance, then followed his father inside.

The last of the Hak'tyl were in the process of going through the open wormhole. Ishta was waiting by the ramp, along with SG-1, Jack and Bra'tac.

"Once again we owe you our thanks for your hospitality," Ishta said to Jack and SG-1, "and for helping us find yet another new homeworld, where the children of the Hak'tyl may be safe."

"Think nothing of it," Jack responded with a smile. "You sure you got everything? Didn't forget any kids or horses?"

Ishta smiled as well, turning her gaze upon Daniel. "To you we owe a special thanks. If it were not for you, many of our brothers and sisters may have died in the battle against Moloc. You brought us victory without the loss of a single life to those fighting on the side of freedom."

"I'm just glad that I could help."

Ishta glanced at her lover. "May I speak with Teal'c alone?"

"Sure," Jack replied. "It was good to see you again." He and SG-1 left the gate room with a final goodbye to Bra'tac, who headed up the ramp and stood waiting at the event horizon.

Rya'c held his hand out to Teal'c. "I will see you soon, Father."

Teal'c pulled him and Kar'yn into an embrace.

"Yes . . . Father," the girl said with emotion in her voice and on her face.

Teal'c looked deeply into her eyes, his hands clasping hers and Rya'c's shoulders. "Be well."

The two young people walked up the ramp, joining Bra'tac. The three of them went through the gate.

After they were gone, Ishta turned to Teal'c. "I did not wish to spoil the days of Shimroa for Rya'c and Kar'yn."

"What have you discovered?"

"Word has come to us that Amaterasu is making a move to claim Moloc's domain, but that she is being challenged by Lord Yu."

Teal'c frowned slightly at the news.

"I know that no matter which of them wins the battle, their rule will be kinder to the children than Moloc's was, but I fear for how many of our brothers and sisters will die in the struggle for power."

"As do I. Perhaps they will agree to divide the domain between them."

"We can only hope." Ishta stepped close to Teal'c, gazing into his eyes. "Do not wait too long to visit. We have a war to plan," she glanced at his lips, "among other things."

They shared a kiss. Then Ishta walked up the ramp to join the last two Hak'tyl. With a final nod to Teal'c, she stepped with her companions through the gate.


	37. Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Because of everything that was happening, Daniel and Sam had worked right through the previous weekend, so they decided that, this weekend, they'd go off somewhere together. Upon hearing about their plans, Jack gave them Friday off as well, telling them to go have some fun.

Sam borrowed a private plane owned by a friend, and the couple flew to Carmel, California. They'd lucked out and managed to find an available hotel room overlooking the sea.

Friday evening, Daniel walked out onto the small terrace of their room. Sam was there, looking out at the ocean. He wrapped his arms about her waist, feeling her take a deep breath, drawing the fresh ocean air into her lungs.

"This is nice," Sam murmured.

"Yes, it is. It's nice to just relax and not have to worry about anything for a while. No galactic crises, no enemies bent on world domination, just you and me and a romantic weekend on the beach."

Sam turned around, draping her arms around his neck. "Mmm. Sounds heavenly. So, what are your plans for this romantic weekend?"

Daniel grinned, his eyes twinkling, sending a clear message to his lover.

"Other than that," Sam said, laughing, "although I'm looking forward to that, too."

Daniel ran a hand intimately down her body, making her pulse quicken. "Glad to hear it. Besides that, I was just thinking of quiet walks on the beach, maybe some sailing."

Sam's eyes lit up. "Sailing?"

"Uh huh. I made some calls, and there weren't any openings for this weekend, but I have a friend from college that opened a sailboat rental business here. I looked him up and found out that he still had it. He's going to take us out on one of his boats."

"Wow, that's great. I didn't know you were keeping in touch with your college friends."

"Oh, I'm not, not since before the first mission. Deke and I weren't close friends, but he felt like he still owed me a favor from when I helped him learn Greek. He originally had plans to move there, but then he got married, and his wife had a baby, and his plans got changed. Anyway, he was happy to have a chance to repay the favor."

That night, after a romantic dinner and dancing, Daniel and Sam returned to their hotel room and followed through on the archeologist's first and foremost plan for the weekend, making passionate love repeatedly throughout the night.

The next morning, they went to one of the marinas, where they met Deke Trager, a tall, stocky man with a deeply tanned complexion and an infectious smile.

Deke held out his hand to Daniel, who shook it.

"Daniel Jackson. Look at you. I almost didn't recognize you, man. You sure aren't the same long-haired geeky kid you were in college, are you."

Daniel smiled. "No, not quite. That was a long time ago, and a lot had changed since then."

"I bet."

"Deke, this is Samantha Carter."

The man shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you. I'm glad to see that he actually has a girlfriend. You know, all the time I knew him in college, he rarely dated, and then never for very long. Of course, he was just a kid back then, scary smart, but just a kid."

Daniel shifted in discomfort. "Deke."

The man looked at him. "What?"

"You're only three years older than me."

"So? Three years can be like the Great Divide when you're in college." Deke turned back to Sam. "I still recall the first time I saw him, a skinny sixteen-year-old with big glasses and no fashion sense who knew more about ancient history and languages than all the other kids in his classes put together." He looked at Daniel. "And look at him now. It's nice to see that you're dressing better and have some muscles on ya. The haircut's sure an improvement."

"I'm so glad that you approve," Daniel responded with a slight edge of sarcasm.

Sam hid her smile. This was going to be an interesting trip.

Fifteen minutes later, they were sailing out of the marina and into the open water. Deke took them up the coast. Daniel and Sam spent part of the time sitting on the bow, watching the scenery go by.

"So, what have you been up to all these years?" Deke asked Daniel after a while. "You were pretty stingy on the details when we talked on the phone."

"Oh, I've been keeping busy. I've been doing some consulting work for the military."

"The military, huh? Is that where you two met?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Daniel and I often work together."

"You in the military?"

"Uh huh."

"Which branch?"

"Air Force."

Deke studied her closely. "I'm guessing a major or lieutenant colonel."

Sam smiled. "Lieutenant colonel."

Deke nodded. "I did a short stint in the Navy. I can usually spot an officer right off, regardless of how they're dressed." He saluted her smartly. "Seaman Deke Trager at your service, ma'am."

Sam smiled again. "At ease, Seaman."

Deke's eyes went to Daniel. "I have to say that I wouldn't have expected you to be working for the military."

The archeologist shrugged. "It's just the way things worked out. They pay well."

"Yes, I imagine they do, and I bet your skill with languages comes in handy."

"Oh, I've used it a time or two," Daniel responded with a straight face.

"So, no more traipsing off to the four corners of the world on digs?"

Daniel shared a glance with Sam. "Oh, I still manage to play archeologist sometimes."

_'Along with a lot of other things,'_ Sam added silently. She got to her feet. "Excuse me. I need to go use the bathroom."

Deke watched her leave, then turned back to Daniel. "She's quite a looker."

Daniel smiled. "Yes, she is."

"So, don't tell me you've been single all this time."

Daniel's smile faded away. "No. I was married, but my wife died several years ago."

"Damn. Sorry, man. I didn't mean to pry."

Daniel stared at him. "Yes, you did."

Deke grinned. "You're right. I did."

"So, are you and Mary still together?"

"Nah, we divorced two years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Deke shrugged in an offhand manner. "That's the breaks."

"What about your daughter?"

The smile was back. "Susan's great. She's definitely Daddy's little girl. Loves the ocean. You got any kids?"

"No. Sha're and I never had any." Daniel's eyes drifted off to the cabin. "I'm hoping it will be different with Sam and I."

Deke's smile grew. "Ah, so it's pretty serious between you two, eh?"

"Yes, very serious."

"So, can I expect to be getting a wedding invitation one of these days?"

Daniel smiled very faintly. "Not yet, but maybe someday."

When Sam came back out, the two men were talking about the sailing business.

"Business has been booming," Deke said. "All those rich tourists lookin' to spend some quality time out on the big blue. We teach them how to operate everything, if they don't already know, then let them go off and play sailor for a few days. I gotta tell ya, though. The liability insurance is a killer."

They spent half the day out on the water, by the end of which Daniel and Sam were feeling happy and totally relaxed.

After docking the boat, Deke accompanied them till they reached the end of the pier. Daniel shook the man's hand.

"Thanks, Deke. Are you sure I can't pay you something?"

The man gave a dismissive gesture. "You did me a good turn teaching me Greek when you really had no reason to even offer to do it. Mary and I went to Greece on our honeymoon, and I thanked you every day for the lessons. Half a day on a sailboat can't compare to that."

Daniel smiled and nodded. "Well, thanks again."

"Sure. Just don't let another ten years go by before you call me again."

"I won't."

Daniel and Sam returned to their hotel room to change, then they went for a walk through town, where they bought gifts for their teammates, Janet and Cassie.

That evening, they ordered room service and ate it out on the terrace.

"Do you regret not staying in touch with your friends from college?" Sam asked.

"No, not really. I didn't actually have any close friends. The truth is that I felt closer to Professor Jordan than I did to any of my fellow students, including Robert. It's just as well that I didn't keep in touch with anyone. How could I have explained the time I was on Abydos, the year I was ascended, and all the other stuff that's happened?"

"Yes, I guess you're right. I still have a few college friends that I talk to on occasion, but it's easier with me. They know I'm in the military and can't talk about a lot of things."

"And you've never disappeared for a year."

Sam smiled. "Yes, there's that, too. Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you hadn't taken Catherine up on her offer?"

"Oh, lots of times. Considering that I'd just made myself a laughingstock of entire the archeological community, I doubt I'd have had much of a career in archeology, although I might have managed to find someone who would let me go on a dig or two. I'm not sure what I'd have done with my life." Daniel's gaze went to the ocean. "This is not something I'd have said a few years ago, before I ascended, but, looking back on my life since that day I met Catherine, I know that it was probably a better life than what I'd have had if I hadn't accepted her offer. Yes, I've gone through a lot of terrible things, and I've lost a lot, but what I've gained, the things I've seen and experienced, are things I wouldn't trade for any other job I could have had, not even if I hadn't committed career suicide with that lecture."

Sam stretched her arm over the table and took his hand. "I'm really glad to hear that, Daniel."

He smiled at her. "Then there's the fact that I'd never have met you. That alone is worth all the things that have happened to me."

The simple statement almost brought tears to Sam's eyes. "I love you."

Daniel caressed her cheek. "And I love you."

Without another word, the couple stood and went back inside, where they expressed their feelings for each other in the sweetest, most intimate of ways.

Sunday was a quiet day spent mostly on the beach. They left on their flight home late that afternoon, feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work saving the galaxy.

-------------------------------------------------- 

The Replicator created in the form of Samantha Carter walked down the hallway of the ship. The door before her opened, and she entered the room. Fifth turned to look at her.

"You have succeeded?" he asked.

"Yes. As we had hoped, my examination of the disruptor technology has enabled me to find a way to make us immune to it. The Asgard will no longer be able to stop us."

Fifth smiled, thinking of the irony. The Asgard, with the help of Daniel Jackson, had created this weapon against the Replicators, and it was they who also gave the Replicators the means to counteract it. When Samantha Carter was taken, the Replicators that had infiltrated Thor's ship downloaded all of the data in the ship's computer, including from systems that would normally be of no interest. A fortunate thing that had been, for it was discovered when analyzing all of the data that the plans for the original disruptor were hidden within it, broken up into small pieces and scattered throughout the computer system. Once all the data had been found and reassembled, Replicator Sam built a disruptor, which she was then able to study for a way to make their kind immune to its effects.

Replicator Carter handed a disruptor to Fifth. "Fire it at me."

Surprised, he looked at her. "You have already made yourself immune?"

"Yes."

Hesitating, Fifth looked at the weapon that was deadly to their kind. "Are you certain it will not harm you?"

"Quite certain."

Fifth pointed the disruptor at his companion and pulled the trigger. The beam struck her without any effect. He stared at her.

"You are unharmed?"

"Completely." Replicator Carter took back the disruptor.

Fifth turned away, taking a couple of steps. "Now that the disruptor technology can no longer harm us, we must go to Earth and kill Daniel Jackson so that he will not interfere with our plans."

"No. As I have said, he possesses valuable knowledge that will enable us to find complete victory."

Fifth turned around, shaking his head. "We do not need his knowledge. He must be eliminated as soon as possible."

Replicator Carter gazed at him almost pityingly. "It is a shame that you are so short-sighted, Fifth. You allow your emotions to control you. It makes you weak."

Fifth glared at her. "The others believed that way. How can you be like them? I created you. I trained you. I gave you the knowledge you possess so that we could use it against the humans and the Asgard."

"You made me like this and gave me the memories and knowledge of Samantha Carter because of your foolish feelings for her. Your weakness is a hindrance."

Fifth was shocked when Replicator Carter lifted the weapon and aimed it at him. "What are you doing?"

"For us to succeed, we must be strong and cannot allow emotions to control our actions. This is something you are not capable of."

Fifth took a step backwards. "No. You cannot do this."

"On the contrary," she responded, "I am quite capable of it. You taught me well, Fifth."

Without a flicker of emotion, Replicator Carter pulled the trigger, and Fifth's body disintegrated. She stared down at the remains.

"When the time is right, we will go to Earth, but it will not be to kill Daniel Jackson. I have other plans for him."

With a small smile, Replicator Carter turned and left the room.

-------------------------------------------------- 

In the wee small hours of Monday morning, Daniel had another dream, a dream that left him with a feeling of horror and dread. When he got to work several hours later, he asked Jack and his teammates to come to the briefing room.

"I had a dream last night," he said.

"Uh oh," Jack responded. "Why do I get the feeling that it was not a good dream?"

"What did you dream?" Sam asked.

Daniel's eyes met hers. "I saw a human-form Replicator, Sam . . . and it had your face."

Sam gasped. "What?"

"I don't know how, and I didn't understand everything that I saw, but I know I'm right. This actually sheds some light on something I saw in another vision, the one I had of the Replicator attack on Earth. In that vision, I saw you--or what I thought was you--for a brief moment, connected in some way to the Replicators. Now I realize that what I actually saw was her . . . it."

"Okay, let me get this straight," Jack said. "Somewhere out there is a Replicator who looks just like Carter and is going to have something to do with the attack on Earth?"

"If that attack still happens."

"So, how come it looks like Carter?"

"Fifth must have managed to get enough neutronium on Orilla to create another human-form Replicator," Sam replied.

"And he made it look like you? Okay, that's just plain creepy."

The thought of a Replicator with her face was more than just creepy to Sam. It was nothing short of horrifying.

"Sir, if Fifth made a Replicator in my . . . in my image, it's almost certain that it has my knowledge and memories. Fifth probed my mind more than once."

"Oh, joy. That's all we need."

"What actions can we take?" Teal'c asked.

"There's really nothing we can do right now," Daniel replied. "But something is going on. I'm sure of it."

"We should warn the Asgard," Sam said.

Jack nodded. "I'll get a message off to them." He looked around at them. "Since you're all here, I figured that we might as well discuss your next mission. What's the next planet on the roster?"

"M6K-713," Sam answered. "It looks like it's going to be a standard recon mission. There are no visible signs of habitation or activity in the area of the gate. P8S-578, the next planet on the list, looks a little more interesting. There are some ruins nearby."

"So, I'm guessing that you'd rather have that one."

"Actually, I have another suggestion," Daniel said.

Jack looked at him. "Which is?"

"I don't know the name of the planet. It's one I visited while I was ascended."

Jack leaned forward with interest. "Oh? And what's so special about this planet?"

"I wasn't there very long, only a couple of hours, but what I found intrigued me. I saw several cities, all of them indicating an advanced civilization, but no one lived in them. They were in excellent condition, like they'd been abandoned only days ago. The funny thing is that the areas were still inhabited. There were people living a simple existence in the forests and plains at a far lower level of technology. I had intended to return there someday, but I never got the chance."

"And you'd like to do it now."

"Do you have a gate address?" Sam asked.

"No, but we could figure it out. I know where the planet is."

Jack gave it some thought. "All right. It sounds interesting, and who knows what high-tech gadgets you'll find. Find out the address and send a MALP through. If everything looks okay, you've got a go."

It didn't take long to come up with an address. It turned out that it was one Jack had entered while he possessed the knowledge of the Ancients, which meant that it was a planet the Goa'uld might never have gone to.

The video that the MALP sent back revealed a dense forest with no signs of anyone nearby. Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were given a green light by Jack to proceed.

The eyes of SG-1 scanned the forest intently as they exited the Stargate. All was quiet except for the sounds of birds. Even so, Daniel had a strange feeling that they were being watched, though he could not sense anyone's presence nearby.

Sam noticed the frown on his face. "Daniel? Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I have, like we're not entirely alone."

"Are you sensing any danger?"

"No, at least not yet."

"What do you think we should do?"

Daniel looked around again. "There's no one nearby. I'm sure of that. One of the cities I saw when I was here before is not far. I think we should head in that direction."

Sam gave a nod of her head. "All right. That's what we'll do, then."

As they made their way toward the city, the feeling that they were being watched did not abate, but Daniel still couldn't sense anyone in the area. He thought about attempting to expand his senses outward, but that would distract his attention, which he didn't want to chance right now. Perhaps once they reached the city and were no longer out in the open, he'd try it.

They'd been traveling for around twenty minute when Daniel abruptly stopped, his senses warning him quite suddenly that they were surrounded. Not understanding how it could have happened without him feeling the approach of the ones who were now all around them, Daniel grabbed Sam's arm.

"We may have trouble, guys."

Seconds later, sixteen cloaked figures came into view, as silent as ghosts. Daniel could not see their faces, but he didn't need to see them to know that they were not human. Tensing, he watched them closely, prepared to defend himself and his teammates, if necessary.

_'Who are you?'_ asked a voice in his head that was neither male nor female. Sam and Teal'c's reaction told Daniel that they'd heard the voice as well.

"We are peaceful explorers," the archeologist replied. "We do not mean you any harm."

_'You are not welcome here,'_ the voice said.

The tension level of the teammates rose with those words.

Daniel attempted to defuse the situation. "I'm sorry. We did not intend to cause trouble. We'll leave, if that's what you want. We'll go back through the Stargate and not return. We have no quarrel with you."

He sensed the attention of the aliens focus entirely upon him. Something brushed against his mind. He stiffened, but did not react.

_'You have power,'_ the mind voice said with a clear note of surprise. _'It is unexpected. Humans do not have power.' _

The mental touch grew more invasive, insistent. Daniel reacted by blocking his mind, keeping out the one attempting to gain entrance. His sixth sense was tingling, warning him that the danger was building. He prepared himself for an attack, sending a telepathic warning to Sam and Teal'c.

One of the aliens began making whistling and clicking noises, which the others appeared to listen to. Then they all turned back to Daniel.

_'Your companions may leave, but you may not,'_ the voice said. _'You have power, and you are human. We must know how this is possible so that we can prevent it in others.' _

Sam was now getting really worried. "Daniel?"

"Okay, look," the archeologist said to the aliens. "You're right. I do have power. How it happened was the result of a unique set of circumstances. I was not born this way. There aren't any other humans like me that I know of. So, if you think this might be a threat to you, you don't have to worry."

_'Your offspring may have power. We must prevent this.' _

"The only way you could prevent it is to kill me. I don't want to fight you. We didn't come here as your enemies. You can end this peacefully by allowing us to go back through the Stargate."

_'That is not acceptable.' _

In the next second, Daniel's sixth sense sent a warning blaring through him.

"Look out!" he cried, grabbing Sam and Teal'c and pushing them to the ground. An instant later, Daniel felt a powerful destructive force hurled at them. His mind responded and sought to push it away, but he was only partially successful. He was struck a glancing blow, which sent agony racing through his body.

Anger rose inside him, and he responded with a telekinetic blow. It slammed into the aliens with enough force to flip a car. Two of the attackers staggered and fell. Not giving the others time to recover, Daniel hit them again, this time with even greater force. Several trees behind the aliens were pulverized by the strength of the blow, which also took out four more of the attackers.

The remaining ten struck again, this time focusing all their power on Daniel. The pain nearly made him pass out, and he knew that, if it wasn't for his psychic abilities, he'd now be dead. He didn't think he'd be able to withstand a third attack.

Out of desperation, Daniel changed the form of attack. Fire blossomed forth in the air and raced outward toward the aliens. The flames did not touch them. The same was not true for the nearby trees, which were instantly transformed into blazing torches.

A high-pitched shrieking sound filled the air, and the ten conscious aliens covered their faces with their arms.

Knowing that it might be their only chance to get away, Daniel grabbed his teammates.

"Run!" he yelled.

Dodging between two burning trees, SG-1 fled.

"We need to get to the gate!" Sam yelled.

Daniel sixth sense immediately told him they wouldn't make it. "We can't, Sam."

"Then what are we going to do?"

The answer came to the linguist. "We need to get out of the forest."

Trusting his instincts, Daniel led his teammates in the direction they'd originally been traveling, toward the abandoned city.

Before they'd made it even halfway there, Daniel sensed pursuers, many more this time, at least thirty. He knew that he could not hope to hold his own against that many in a direct confrontation, so he did the only thing he could.

Flames again raged forth, alighting the trees behind them. As they continued to run, they left a trail of fire in their wake, one Daniel hoped the aliens would be unable to get around.

Both he and Sam were nearly out of breath when they saw sunlight streaming through the trees ahead. At almost the same time, however, Daniel sensed more of the aliens approaching from a different direction. Not hesitating, he set fire to the forest to block them.

Seconds later, he and his teammates burst from the trees. They didn't stop until they were a good thirty yards past the tree line.

Thick smoke was rising above the forest, angry flames licking at the sky. The fire was still quite small, but it would grow, if it was not stopped. Daniel didn't want to think about who might die in that fire he had set.

He sat on the ground, his breathing gradually slowing. The headache told him that he'd overdone it. More worrying, however, was the pain in his back and shoulder from where he'd been hit, which seemed to be getting worse. He wondered what damage had been done.

"What were those things?" Sam wondered aloud.

"I don't know. They definitely weren't human. They had some kind of psychic ability. It took a lot of effort to block their attack."

Sam looked at Daniel closely. She could tell that he was hurting. She reached out to touch his shoulder. The moment she made contact, he gasped in pain and jerked away.

"Daniel, what's wrong."

His eyes were closed tightly. "I didn't quite block it all."

Sam's concern skyrocketed. "You need to let me take a look."

"I don't think I can get my shirt off."

"I will aid you, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

Being careful not to touch him, the Jaffa gently helped Daniel get his vest, jacket, and T-shirt off. Sam gasped in horror at the sight that was revealed. Daniel's left shoulder and half his back were almost completely black. The color was deeper and more intense than that of a bruise.

"My God," she whispered. "Daniel?"

The archeologist was beginning to feel sick and dizzy, the familiar pain in his head from overdoing it quickly being overwhelmed by the deeper pain in his body. He knew that something was very wrong inside him.

It was no wonder that he did not sense the approach of a group of men. Teal'c saw them, however, and pointed his weapon at them, as did Sam.

"Come no closer," the Jaffa commanded.

The men halted. They stared at Daniel with looks of pity.

"We are not your enemies," one of the men said. "We saw the fire and came to investigate. You have been attacked by the Methra. You are fortunate that the life of only one of you is lost."

Sam stiffened. "What are you saying? Daniel's not dead."

"No, but he soon will be. None survive the mark of a Methra, not one that severe."

No! Sam grasped her friend's good arm. "Daniel?"

His head bowed, Daniel fought hard not to lose consciousness. "Sam," he gasped. "I . . . I don't know if I can heal myself."

"But you have to!"

"There is no hope for him," the man insisted.

"Stop saying that!" Sam yelled. She turned back to the man she loved. "Daniel, you have to concentrate. You can do this."

Daniel fought desperately to push past the agony spreading like fire through his body. He closed his eyes and attempted to focus his healing ability, knowing that, if he lost consciousness, he'd never wake up again. For long seconds, it seemed certain that he'd fail, and then, finally, the healing power responded, spreading through every inch of his being.

A gasp escaped more than one throat as Daniel's form began to glow with a soft golden light. Surprised and fascinated, the archeologist's teammates stared at him wonderingly.

For a full minute, Daniel sat unmoving as his body healed itself. At last, the light began to fade. And then it was gone, leaving behind unblemished skin.

Daniel's head lifted, and he gave a shaky sigh.

"Daniel? Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Mostly. I'll be all right, though." He looked up at the group of men, who were gaping at him with expressions of disbelief and a touch of fear.

"What are you?" asked the one who'd spoken before. "You are not human."

"No, I am human. I just have some abilities that the average human doesn't have, including the ability to heal myself and others."

Sam could see the tremor in Daniel's hands. "You need to rest. Do you think you can stand?"

"Um . . . to be honest, I'm not sure."

Standing up required the help of both of his teammates. Once he'd reached an upright position, it was necessary for Teal'c to help keep him that way by wrapping an arm around his waist.

Sam knew that Daniel desperately needed rest and probably shouldn't even be moving yet, but they had to put more distance between them and that fire.

She turned to the group of men. "Do you have a village or town nearby?"

"Our village is not far," one replied, "on the other side of the river." He pointed behind them.

Sam looked in that direction. She could see the distant shimmer of water. Beyond that, she could make out some small structures.

"Do you think you can make it that far?" she asked Daniel.

"Well, since the only other option is to have Teal'c carry me, I'm certainly going to try."

Sam and Teal'c helped Daniel get his T-shirt and jacket back on, then they all followed the men to the village. It was necessary for them to walk slowly, Daniel's legs feeling like they were going to give out on him. He knew that he hadn't healed himself completely. Before he could finish the job, however, he'd have to get some rest. The healing process had taken a lot out of him, which was compounded by the fact that he'd already overdone it.

Stubbornness alone enabled Daniel to make it to the village, though even that almost wasn't enough. His teammates could tell that he was nearly at the end of his strength and asked that they be taken someplace where he could rest. They were led to a hut with two narrow beds made of wood and woven grasses and covered by furs.

Daniel lay down on one of the beds and was asleep within moments.

The spokesman for the natives was staring at him. He then looked at the other two members of SG-1. "Who are you? From where do you come?"

Sam answered. "My name is Samantha Carter. This is Teal'c." She gestured at Daniel. "His name is Daniel Jackson."

"I am Kelith, overseer of this village. What village or town have you come from?"

"We're not from here. We came through the Stargate."

"What is the Stargate?" Kelith asked.

"That large stone ring in the forest. It's a portal to and from other worlds."

Kelith's eyes widened in surprise. "There are legends that the ring is a gateway to other worlds, that our ancestors came here through it, but most do not believe those stories." He shook his head. "You would have been better to remain on your own world."

"We're explorers," Sam explained. "We go to other planets to see what's there and, possibly, make friends with the people we meet."

"We would give you our friendship gladly, but you will not find friends among the Methra. Your friend is not the first that they have attacked. There have been many deaths."

"Why do these Methra attack you?" Teal'c asked.

"Most times, it is because a person has ventured into the forest. The Methra have declared it their domain and forbidden us to enter. But much of the game we hunt and other food we eat are in the forest. Without that food, our children would go hungry. What else are we to do? It was not always this way. No more than two years ago, the Methra left us alone. Many of us lived within the woods. It was only in the deepest regions of the forest that we could not go, the places where there was little light. The Methra shun the light, never venturing into the sun. They move mostly at night. One day, the Methra told us to leave the forest, that it now belonged to them. Some who lived there refused to go. Many of them were killed. The rest knew they had no choice but to leave their homes. Some of our people are now completely isolated, for they have no way to get to other towns and villages without passing through the forest. We cannot even create roadways through the woods to allow safe passage."

Sam frowned. "And you have no idea why things changed?"

"No, although it seems like there are many more Methra now than there were before."

Sam and Teal'c exchanged a glance, wondering if it was possible that the aliens came through the Stargate.

Kelith studied them. "I must ask if you know what started the fire. It will no doubt upset the Methra."

"Um . . . I think we'd better wait to explain that until after Daniel's awake," Sam replied.

The man bowed his head. "Very well. I will leave you to rest. Another bed will be brought in."

"So, what do you think, Teal'c?" Sam asked once the man was gone. "I'm guessing that the increase in the number of Methra is because a lot more came through the gate."

"That is my belief as well. They have chosen to make this world their home and are no longer willing to share the forest land with the human inhabitants."

"Which is causing a big problem for these people."

"I do not believe that we will be able to get back to the Stargate."

Sam glanced at her watch. "Well, we're due for a check-in in about five hours. When we don't contact the SGC, they'll dial the gate, and we can let them know what's going on. The problem is that they're limited on what they can do. They can't send any other teams through, and they can't send the Prometheus because it's in the process of being switched over to the Asgard engines. The only option would be for them to send Osiris' Al'Kesh. Any other ship would take at least a week to get here. I just hope that we won't have to stay here for long. There's no telling what those aliens will do."

* * *

I've noticed that the hit count on this fic has gotten quite low. Hopefully, this new adventure will increase interest in the story. There's still quite a bit more of the fic yet to go. 


	38. Chapter 38

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Sam walked over to Daniel's bed and sat on the edge. She gazed down at the archeologist's sleeping face. 

"Daniel Jackson's ability to heal himself has again served him well," Teal'c said. 

"Yes, it has. If this had happened before he gained that ability, he'd probably be dead." 

Just then, two men brought a third bed in and set it up against one of the walls. With a quick glance at Daniel, they left. 

Daniel slept for a little over three hours. During that time, Teal'c went out among the villagers to learn more about them and the situation with the Methra. Daniel was filled in on everything once he got up. 

"Did you ask anyone about the city?" he asked. 

"I did not," Teal'c replied. "No mention was made of it by anyone I spoke to." 

"I need to talk to Kelith. If there are legends and stories about the gate, there may be some about the cities. I have to wonder if they were built by a previous race that lived on this planet, and the ancestors of these people came here after the other race left." 

Teal'c went to get the village overseer. 

"So, how are you really feeling?" Sam asked. Daniel had claimed that he was fine, but she wasn't sure of how true that statement was. After he woke up, he'd spent a few minutes healing himself the rest of the way. 

"I'm okay, Sam. Really. I'm not eager to tangle with those Methra again, though. Against, a few of them, I could hold my own, but that many were too much for me." 

"They felt threatened by your abilities." 

Daniel nodded. "Considering the situation going on between them and the human inhabitants, it makes sense. If the people here began developing psychic abilities, they'd be a threat to the Methra, especially since I'm guessing that the human population is a lot bigger. The Methra would no longer have the upper hand." 

Teal'c and Kelith came in. 

"It is good to see that you are well," the overseer said to Daniel. 

"Thanks. Sam and Teal'c told me about the situation with the Methra. We'd like to help, but we're not sure what we could do. Do you have any idea how many people are on this planet?" 

"Before the problem with the Methra, I had access to the census reports from all the villages and towns in this territory. At that time, there were nearly thirty thousand people. There are many other territories, though, and I do not know how many people are in them." 

So much for evacuating the populace to a safer planet. "Um, Kelith, what do you know about that big city that's not far from here?" 

"Legends say that the cities were created by a mighty race that then vanished. Some believe that they were built by the Methra, who then abandoned them and went to live deep in the forest. No one goes there because of the guardians." 

"Guardians?" 

"Creatures made of metal that chase away all who dare to venture into the city." 

"It sounds like some kind of robot," Sam said, "left behind by the city's inhabitants." 

"Have these . . . guardians ever hurt anyone?" Daniel asked. 

"No, although I have heard tell that they sting any who refuse to leave with something that looks like a tiny lightning bolt." 

"Sounds like a small electrical charge," Sam remarked. 

Worried about the fire, Daniel went outside with his teammates. He was surprised to see that the blaze didn't appear to have gotten any bigger. He made a comment about it, and Kelith explained. 

"The Methra will be fighting the flames. It has happened before. A lightning strike last year caused a blaze that the Methra extinguished within a few hours. When they combine their powers, they are very mighty." 

Daniel nodded. It was not really surprising. After all, he had the power to put out fires, though certainly not one that big. 

"I am sorry that you can never return home," Kelith said. "You would not make it back to your Stargate alive." 

"Actually, there's a good chance that our people will send a ship to come get us," Sam responded. 

Kelith frowned. "A ship?" 

"Um, yeah." Daniel said. "It might be a bit hard for you to understand what that is. Do you have boats?" 

"We do not here, but those who live near the sea do." 

"Our people have spaceships, which are like boats that fly through the sky and out in space." 

"That must be an amazing thing." 

"Yes, it can be." 

Kelith excused himself, and SG-1 went back into their hut, deciding it was time they ate something. Over the meal, they discussed the situation. 

"We need to check out that city," Daniel said. "It's possible that there's something there that can help protect these people against the Methra." 

Sam took a bite of her power bar. "I wonder how many of those aliens there are." 

"At least several thousand, I'd say. One thing's for sure. This situation won't stay like this forever. Sooner or later, there will probably be an all-out war, and, unless the humans can overwhelm the Methra by sheer numbers, they won't be able to win." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The time that SG-1 was supposed to check in came and went. They were surprised when no call came through from the SGC to find out why they didn't check in. 

"Do you think it's possible that the Methra did something to the gate?" Sam asked. 

"I suppose it's possible," Daniel replied. "They might have been worried that more humans like me would come through." 

"General O'Neill is probably getting worried." 

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "When do you believe that he will send a ship if his efforts to contact us continue to fail?" 

"It's hard to say. It'll be at least another week before the Prometheus is ready, so he'd have to send the Al'Kesh, if he decides to do something before then." 

"I do not believe that O'Neill would have the patience to wait a week." 

Sam smiled. "Yes, you're probably right. The problem is that some people might resist the use of the Al'Kesh. Look at what happened when we wanted to use it to go rescue Daniel on Tegalus." 

"Yeah, but this situation isn't the same," the archeologist said. "They have no reason to believe that we're dead." 

"True." 

As night fell, SG-1 noticed a change in the demeanor of the villagers. There was fear in the air, and guards were being stationed at the village's perimeter. 

"Have the Methra ever attacked the village?" Daniel asked someone. 

"No, but we always fear that, someday, they will. The night belongs to them." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Jack paced his office. Repeated attempts to dial the planet SG-1 was on had failed. They were unable to get a lock, as if the gate had been destroyed or buried. Jack wondered what the hell could have happened in just those few hours that his former teammates had been there. 

If they hadn't succeeded in getting through to the planet by morning, Jack intended to call Hammond and request permission to send the Al'Kesh. He'd have liked to send the Prometheus in case there was really big trouble on the planet, but it was going to be another week before the ship was ready to fly anywhere. So, the Al'Kesh would have to do. 

It was well after midnight before Jack finally headed to his quarters, hoping that the morning would bring the return of his friends. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Morning dawned cold and clear. Sam, who'd taken the last watch, glanced inside their hut and saw that Teal'c was getting up. Speaking to him for a moment, she left to go use the village's bathroom facilities. On the way, she looked toward the forest and saw that the fire appeared to be completely out. 

One of the villagers noticed the direction of her gaze. 

"The flames died during the night," she said. "It took the Methra many hours to put out the blaze." She glared at the forest. "I hope that some of them perished in the fire." She smiled grimly. "Even if they did not, there is now a swath of forest land that they will no longer have for many years, not until the trees regrow." 

Sam resumed her trip to the bathroom facilities. On the way back, she spoke to several people in the village, more than one of whom had lost loved ones because of the Methra. 

She was just entering the hut when Daniel suddenly roused from sleep with a gasp. He sat straight up. 

"We have to evacuate the village," he blurted out. 

"What? Daniel, what are you saying? What did you see?" 

"The Methra are going to attack the village tonight, Sam, and it's my fault." 

"Your fault?" 

"They see me as a threat, and they're going to attack the village in an effort to kill me." 

"Then we must leave these people," Teal'c stated. 

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think that's enough. The Methra may not realize that we're gone. We have to get everyone out of here, get them to the city." 

SG-1 left the hut and went looking for Kelith. They found him emerging from his home. 

"Kelith, we need to evacuate the village right away," Daniel said. 

The man frowned at him. "Why?" 

"Because the Methra are going to attack it tonight." 

"How could you know this?" 

"I have the ability to see the future. Please believe me, Kelith. The Methra will attack tonight, and anyone who is still here will die." 

"He's telling the truth, Kelith," Sam said. "Daniel has accurately predicted the future many times in the past. He's never wrong. The attack will happen." 

The village leader said nothing for a long moment. Daniel didn't know what he was going to do if he was not believed. He could not let these people die because of his presence. 

Kelith nodded sharply. "Very well. I cannot deny that you are no ordinary man. I will trust that you are speaking the truth." He turned around and called out. "My people, the Methra seek to destroy us. They plan to attack us in the dark of night. We must flee this place." 

His words caused an uproar. 

"But where shall we go?" one woman asked. 

"To the city," Daniel replied. "We'll have better shelter there." 

"But what of the guardians?" another asked. 

"We'll worry about that once we get there. Right now, we need to get out of here." 

"Go and gather your belongings," Kelith said. "But hurry. We must be within the city well before dark." 

Everyone scattered, running to their homes. 

Kelith turned to SG-1. "I must gather my own things." He then left. 

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c helped the villagers prepare to leave, heaping food and other supplies onto carts, which would be pulled by horse-like animals. 

Once they were on their way, the going was slow, and Daniel was glad that they didn't have very far to go. 

Everyone stopped at the city's outskirts, the villagers hesitant to venture within. 

"Kelith, you and your people stay here," Daniel instructed. "We'll go in and see if it's safe." 

Gripping their weapons, SG-1 approached the boundary of the city. On the edge of it was a row of metal posts around four feet high and three inches in diameter. They appeared to be spaced around forty feet apart and went on for as far as the eye could see, possibly encircling the entire city. 

Stepping past one of the posts, SG-1 entered the city. Sam pulled out a scanner and checked the readings. 

"I'm getting energy readings," she said. She turned around, eyes still on the readings, and stepped up to the nearest post. "It's coming from this." Sam's eyes scanned up and down the row of posts. "I think these might be generating some kind of sensor field that detects anything passing between the posts." 

"Well, Kelith did say that anyone who went into the city was confronted by one of the 'guardians'," Daniel said. "The sensors probably send a signal, which means that we'll likely have some company pretty soon." 

The "company" arrived not quite ten minutes later, and it was, indeed, a robot. About five feet high, it rolled up to them on wheels and said something in a language that sounded vaguely familiar to Daniel. When the humans didn't move, it repeated the words and came closer. Sam and Teal'c aimed their weapons at it. 

When the three of them still didn't go away, the robot said something else. The tip of one of its hands generated a small arch of electricity, not enough to cause harm but certainly enough to give someone a painful jolt. As it came forward, arm extended, Daniel stopped it. The robot made several sounds, fighting against the telekinetic grip on it. 

"What shall we do with this thing?" Teal'c asked. 

"I don't want to destroy it," Daniel replied. "It was obviously put here to protect the city." 

"Um . . . Daniel?" Sam said. 

The archeologist looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that three more robots were coming, possibly called by the first one. 

He sighed. "Then again, they could really get in the way." He lifted all four robots into the air, trying to figure out what he was going to do with them. "I wish I could understand what they're saying." 

Just then, one of the robots said something else, and Daniel recognized one of the words. 

"It's a variation of Ancient. It's undergone so many changes that I didn't even recognize it." 

Daniel spoke to the robots in Ancient, hoping that they'd understand. They stopped struggling and began beeping and clicking. Then the nearest robot spoke again, this time in a dialect of Ancient that Daniel could understand. 

"We are the guardians. We are programmed to protect the city." 

"We are . . . visitors," Daniel responded. "We and the others with us need a safe refuge against an enemy that wants to hurt us." 

"You use a weapon against us." 

"What? Oh. Um, sorry." Daniel lowered them to the ground. "I just did that to stop you from attacking us." 

"Explain the functioning of this weapon." 

"Um . . . it is not really a weapon, although I can use it as one. It is an ability within my mind." He used the Ancient word closest to the meaning of 'telekinesis'. "Do you understand what I mean?" 

"Yes." 

"So, can we and the people with us take shelter in the city? We need to find someplace safe." 

"Yes, you may enter." 

The robots turned around and left without another word. 

"Okay, so what was that all about?" Sam asked. 

"I guess we have permission to stay," Daniel replied. "Teal'c, go get the villagers and bring them in. Let them know that the guardians won't attack." 

As Teal'c headed back to the villagers, Daniel began looking around at the buildings. "From what Kelith said, this city must have been abandoned a very long time ago, but you sure wouldn't know it by looking at it." 

Sam examined the wall of one of the structures. "This is some kind of metal. It appears to be resistant to corrosion. If it's the primary building material, that would explain why this place is in such good shape." 

"I wonder if there are also maintenance robots. Have you noticed that there aren't any weeds growing anywhere?" 

Sam looked about. "You're right." She stared down at the road they were on. "And there aren't any cracks in whatever this stuff is. Wow. I wonder how long this place has been maintaining itself, waiting for the inhabitants to return." 

Daniel walked over to a sign, his eyes scanning the writing. 

"Can you read it?" Sam asked. 

"Not easily. Its roots are clearly Ancient, but it's undergone a lot of changes, just like the spoken language." Daniel concentrated on the writing, trying to make sense of it. "I think it's an advertisement." He looked around again. "I'd say that whatever people lived here were influenced by the Ancients in the same way that the Romans were. Latin was derived from the Ancient language just like this language was." 

"So, what happened to them?" 

"Good question. I'd love to find a library or museum. That might give us some idea. First, though, we need to find some kind of power generator. If we can light this place up, the Methra will stay away." 

"Well, the power for those sensors is coming from somewhere, but to find it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. This place is pretty big." 

Teal'c and the villagers arrived a short while later. The Jaffa reported that the robots did not confront them, although one did observe them. 

SG-1 found a building large enough that the villagers could make camp in. It looked like it may have been a warehouse, though it was empty of its contents. In fact, so far, every building they'd checked was empty, devoid of all furnishing and everything else. 

"Well, wherever they went, it looks like they took everything with them," Sam remarked, "except for the robots." 

Leaving the villagers to get settled and advising them not to wander far from their temporary camp, SG-1 resumed exploring the city. They'd been wandering for around two hours when they lucked out. They discovered a large map of the city and found out where the power plant was. 

"It'll take a while to get there," Sam said. 

Daniel looked up at the sky, checking the location of the sun. "It's going to start getting dark in another hour or so. The Methra probably won't leave the forest until it's completely dark, but we still don't have a lot of time." 

"What's the likelihood that they'll follow us here?" 

"That I don't know. Considering the distance and the fact that they can't be caught out in the open when morning comes, they may decide it's not worth the risk." 

"But we cannot be certain," Teal'c stated. 

"No." 

"Okay, Teal'c and I will go to the power plant," Sam said. "You go back to the villagers. Contact us if there's trouble." 

Daniel nodded and returned to the warehouse. 

"Where are your companions?" Kelith asked. 

"They're on their way to the place that supplies the power to this city. They're going to try to turn on the lights, which will keep the Methra away." 

"What if they fail?" 

Daniel hesitated before replying. "I don't know, Kelith. I'll try to protect your people as much as I can." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Jack put down the phone receiver with a little more force than was necessary. The call had been from the president. When Jack approached Hammond about using the Al'Kesh to go see what happened to SG-1, the leader of Homeworld Security had been all for it and had given his permission. Preparations were well underway when a wrench was thrown in the works. It seemed that certain high-ranking people had their own plans for the Al'Kesh, which didn't include risking it being damaged or destroyed on a rescue mission. They insisted that SG-1 could wait until the Prometheus was ready. The president didn't agree, but had just told Jack to give SG-1 a little more time to resolve the situation on their end. So, the Al'Kesh would not be leaving until tomorrow. 

Okay, so it could be worse. The president might have sided with the idiots who didn't want the Al'Kesh used at all. But Jack was chafing at the delay, concerned about what trouble his former teammates might be in. 

Once Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were back home safely, Jack had half a mind to blow up that damn Al'Kesh to teach the bigwigs a lesson about valuing a hunk of metal over a human life. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

By the time Sam and Teal'c reached the power station, the sun had sunk below the horizon. Flashlights in hand, then entered the building and were immediately surprised by the sight of several small robots moving about. The robots ignored them, continuing about their business. 

"I wonder if these might be some kind of maintenance robots," Sam mused. "This being the central power station, it would make sense that keeping it maintained would be a priority." 

They wandered around for a bit before finding what they were looking for. 

Sam frowned. "I was hoping that it would be something I'd recognize, but I have no idea how this works." She began studying the machinery and devices in the room, running her scanner over everything. "I wish I could read this text." 

She got on the radio. "Daniel, come in." 

"Yeah, Sam." 

"We're there, but it's going to take me a while to figure this out. I see what looks like a user interface, but I can't read the language, so I have no idea what buttons to push. I could push the wrong one and overload the system." 

"If the Methra decide to come to the city, we're not going to have a lot of time. I guess I should have come with you instead of Teal'c." 

"No, you're the only one of us who has a prayer of protecting the villagers against the Methra, and we didn't know what we'd find when we got here. I'm not giving up on this yet. I'll get it figured out." 

"Let me know how things are going." 

"I will. Out." 

Daniel went to the open door and looked out. Soon, it would be completely dark. After that, the Methra could leave on their mission at any time. Daniel desperately hoped that, once they saw that the village was empty, they'd give up on their plan and just go back home. But his instincts were telling him that was not going to be what happened. 

The archeologist looked back at the men, women and children whose lives were now in his hands. They were in this situation because SG-1 had come through the gate, and it was up to him and his teammates to fix things. 

As the last of the light died, Daniel closed his eyes, casting his mind across the distance between here and the village. He looked for any sign of movement, any hint of activity. There was nothing. 

"Daniel?" 

Daniel's eyes blinked open, and he turned to see Kelith standing beside him with a bowl. 

"You should eat," the man said. 

Daniel took the bowl. "Thank you." 

"Are you tired? Your eyes were closed." 

"No. I have the ability to see things that are happening far away. I was looking to see if there was any sign that the Methra are on the move." 

Kelith stared at him closely. "How is it that you have these powers?" 

"It's a long story, Kelith, a lot of which would be hard to explain. I can only say that something happened that changed me and gave me these abilities. There are other things you don't know about yet, other powers I have. You should know that I was the one who set the fire. The Methra attacked us, and I had no choice but to fight back with fire, which I can create with my mind. If the Methra come here, I will probably have to fight them." 

"And will you win?" 

"Probably not, but it's the only thing I can do." 

"If you lose, you will die." 

Daniel nodded. "But at least the Methra would then have no reason to attack you. I'm the one they want. They believe I'm a threat to them because of my abilities. We told them that we'd go back through the Stargate and never return, but they wouldn't accept that. I'm sorry that our presence here has threatened you." 

"You have no fault in this, Daniel. You came in peace and with good intentions. You did not know of the Methra. They are evil. We would happily have shared the forest and its bounties with them, but, instead, they chose to take it from us by force." 

"Whether or not they're evil is something I don't know, but they did make the wrong decisions." 

"I will pray to our god that you will be victorious." 

"Thank you, Kelith." 

The man went back inside. After eating his dinner, Daniel checked the village and forest again. No more than a couple of minutes had passed when he saw the Methra emerge from the trees. His heart sank when he saw how many there were, at least sixty. He'd have no hope of withstanding an attack from that many. 

Daniel watched as the aliens approached the empty village and searched it. They passed beyond it, their eyes on the ground. Daniel knew that they could see the tracks left by the villagers. For several seconds, they appeared to talk to each other, then what Daniel had feared happened. The Methra began following the tracks, heading toward the city. 

Daniel's eyes opened, and he got on the radio. "Sam, Teal'c, come in." 

"Yes, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c answered. 

"Bad news. The Methra are coming. They just left the village." 

"How long do you think it will take them to get here?" Sam asked. 

"If they keep up their present pace, no more than half an hour. Have you had any luck yet?" 

"A little. I managed to turn the lights on in this building, and I've identified a few other systems. It's a start." 

"Sam. . . ." 

"I know, Daniel. I'll hurry. I just wish I had my computer with me." 

The archeologist looked at the people under his protection. That's when he realized what he had to do. "Sam, I can't stay here. I'm the one that the Methra want. As long as I'm with these people, they could get caught in the crossfire." 

"Daniel, what are you saying?" 

"I have to draw the Methra away from them, get them to chase me. They'd have no reason to attack the villagers, then." 

"Daniel, you can't go out there alone and have any hope of making it out of this alive." 

"Sam, there are at least sixty of them. If I stay here and fight, I won't last long, and a lot of people could die with me. In the city, I can move quickly. It's obvious that the range of the Methras' abilities is limited. If I can stay far enough ahead of them, I might be able to give you enough time to get the lights on." 

There was a long pause, then, "Please be careful, Daniel." 

"I will. I love you, Sam." 

"I love you, too." 

"It would probably be best for you not to call me again. I don't want to get distracted." 

"Okay." 

"Daniel Jackson, do you wish me to join you?" Teal'c asked. 

"No. It'll be better if I only have to worry about myself." 

"I have faith that you will succeed." 

"Thanks, Teal'c. Daniel out." 

Daniel went into the warehouse and sought out Kelith. 

"The Methra are coming," he said. "I've decided that it would be best for me to leave. They'll come after me, and you'll be safe." 

The village overseer searched his eyes. "We would fight with you, Daniel." 

"I know you would, Kelith, but you'd just die needlessly. I'll try to stay ahead of them, keep out of their reach. Sam just needs more time." 

Kelith laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "May the great god keep you safe and bring defeat to your enemies." 

"Thank you. After I leave, close the door and tell everyone to keep quiet. I'll make sure that the Methra don't come to this building." 

Grabbing his things, the archeologist stepped out into the night. 


	39. Chapter 39

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Daniel headed toward the Methra, intending to intercept them before they got anywhere near the warehouse. Long before he got to the city's outskirts, he stopped to check on their progress and was startled to see that the aliens had covered the distance a lot more quickly than he'd estimated. They must have increased their pace. They were already almost at the city.

"Sam, Teal'c. It's Daniel," he said into the radio. "They're almost at the city."

Sam cursed silently. "Daniel, I'm going to go ahead and try to power up the systems," she said. "I can't let you take the chance of getting caught by those things. Stand by." She turned to Teal'c. "Go to a window and tell me when you see lights coming on."

The Jaffa hurried to the nearest window, letting her know when he was ready.

Sam took a deep breath and, one by one, began touching the buttons on the control panel computer screen. The hum of the machinery grew in volume, and she heard other things in the building turning on.

After several seconds, Teal'c saw lights begin coming on everywhere, buildings and streets lighting up for the first time in many centuries.

"The city is illuminating," he reported into the radio.

"Yes!" Sam cheered.

Her triumph was short-lived. All of a sudden, everything went black, the machinery going silent.

"No, no, no!" she cried. "Dammit, don't do this!" With a sinking heart, she knew that what she'd feared had just happened. She'd just overloaded the system. She may also have just sentenced Daniel to death.

In another part of the city, Daniel's smile upon seeing the lights coming on vanished when, only a few seconds later, everything went dark again.

"Uh oh. That's not good." He got back on the radio. "Sam?"

"The system overloaded, Daniel. Dammit! There has to be some kind of reset, something to get the main controls back online."

Daniel checked on the Methra and saw that they'd stopped just outside the city, probably alarmed by the lights. They stood there for a good minute or so, then headed into the metropolis.

"Sam, I can't wait any longer. The Methra are coming into the city."

"I'm so sorry, Daniel."

"It's not your fault, Sam."

"I'll hurry as fast as I can. Please be careful."

"I will."

Daniel turned his attention back to the Methra. Observing them for a while, he realized that they were following the same path through the city that SG-1 and the villagers had taken. How the aliens could still be tracking them was a mystery to him, but at least he now knew which way they'd go and where he could await their arrival. He picked a spot on a long, straight street that would allow the Methra to see him from quite a distance, if their night vision was as good as Daniel figured it was. He could only hope that it was far enough away to be beyond the reach of their psychic abilities.

Daniel psychically watched the aliens draw progressively closer, preparing himself for what would soon come. He attempted to feel their presence, but found that he couldn't. Figuring that they must have some kinds of psychic ability that cloaked their presence, he tried harder. Faint at first, he began to feel it. It grew gradually stronger until he was having no difficulty sensing the aliens. As he got past the 'cloak', he also began sensing something else, something he normally didn't feel when sensing the presence of a human being. He could detect the emotions of the Methra, and what he felt answered once and for all the question of whether or not there would be any chance of making them change their minds. Their determination to kill him and wipe out the threat they perceived him to be was powerful and unwavering.

Just before the Methra reached the street he was on, Daniel called out to them in his mind, hoping they'd hear him. _'I am here. You want me, then come get me.' _

There was a brief pause before he got a reply. _'We are here. We will come. You will die, and the threat will be ended.' _

_'Don't be so sure of that. You've got to catch me first.' _

A few seconds later, the Methra turned onto the street. He knew the moment they'd seen him. He didn't wait around for them to get closer. Turning on his heels, he ran, taking the first side street he got to. He could sense the Methra in pursuit.

Wishing he could see in the dark as well as they could, Daniel ran down the city streets, leading the Methra deeper into the heart of the metropolis. He could sense that they were slowly gaining on him. He also knew that he'd be able to run for just so long before he got tired. His best chance to stay ahead of them was to take paths that would slow them down because of their larger number.

With that plan in mind, Daniel cut through buildings, knocking down doors when he had to. The Methra would either have to file through one at a time or circle around.

At one point, Daniel paused to see what they were up to and was concerned to find out that they'd broken up into smaller groups, probably hoping to surround him.

Coming toward him now from the south and the east were two groups of the aliens, twenty-three individuals in all. So focused on them was Daniel that he failed to sense something else until his sixth sense blared a warning. He spun around to see six Methra only a couple dozen yards away. He felt them strike at him. The power hammered against his defenses, but he was able to deflect it. He struck back, aiming not at the Methra but at a large sign right above them. The supports snapped, and the sign came crashing down. Taken by surprise, the aliens dove out of the way. Two didn't quite make it.

Another warning hit Daniel, and he saw ten more of the aliens coming. He turned and ran, the Methra in hot pursuit. He felt like he was the fox, and the Methra were the hounds and hunters. Their ability to track him so easily could mean that, like him, they had the power to see what their eyes could not. Either that or they were tracking him by sound and their sense of smell. Between the two possibilities, he'd rather it be the second. He feared that it was the first.

The next confrontation was almost fatal. Cutting through an alley, Daniel found himself suddenly trapped, Methra blocking both ends. There was no time for subtlety. Fire blazed out of thin air and raced toward the aliens, intent upon consuming them. Only once before had Daniel deliberately sought to sent fire to a living being, but he could not allow morality to curtail his actions this time, not when he was fighting an enemy with such power.

But, though Daniel's intention was to kill the Methra, the fire didn't reach them. It was pushed aside to strike harmlessly against the walls of the buildings. By then, however, the archeologist was no longer there, having smashed down a door and fled through a building.

Daniel cast his senses outward and saw another twelve Methra approaching his location. With a sinking feeling, he knew that, sooner or later, his pursuers were going to catch him, if he couldn't find a way out of this. He had not anticipated that they'd be able to track him so easily. That mistake might prove fatal.

Again, Daniel ran. Only a few minutes later, he encountered four more of the aliens. His will hardening, Daniel struck in a different way. He attempted to telekinetically grab hold of them and felt a moment of triumph when he succeeded. But he could sense them psychically fighting his grip and knew that he wouldn't be able to keep hold of them for long.

Lifting them high into the air, he threw them with all his power. No indestructible armor protected them as it had the supersoldier Daniel fought all those months ago. Daniel sensed their deaths, but couldn't afford to regret the necessity of his actions. The Methra had chosen this battle, not him.

The archeologist now knew something important. Against half a dozen Methra or less, his powers were strong enough to shield himself, and, with the right attack, he could kill them.

That's when Daniel made the decision to become the hunter instead of the hunted. He cast his senses outward, seeking small groups of the Methra. He found one a couple hundred yards away and headed in that direction. He stopped before reaching the point where they'd be able to see him.

Closing his eyes, Daniel focused his power. This time, because of their location, he could not throw them very far, so he would have to stop them in another way.

Wishing that he didn't have to do this, Daniel struck. Inside the body of one of the Methra, there was the sound of bone crunching. The alien fell dead at the feet of its fellows, its neck crushed from within. Before the others could react, a second of their number fell dead, then a third and a fourth.

For the first time, the Methra felt fear. They had believed themselves more powerful, but this lone human was killing them, and they could not strike back for he was not within their sight. His power was reaching out from the distance and destroying them.

The two remaining Methra fled, calling in their minds for aid, but their pleas were barely sent when the first of them died, the second soon after.

Daniel opened his eyes, feeling sick over what he'd done. He knew that, if the tables had been turned, they'd have done the same, but that didn't make him feel any better.

_'Please,'_ he pleaded telepathically. _'We don't have to be enemies. I never planned to harm you. We came here to explore and seek friendship.'_ His silent cry went unanswered.

Knowing that he had no choice, Daniel sought out another small group of the aliens. This one had seven in it. He hoped that it wasn't too big.

He had learned something new, something that gave him another advantage over the Methra. They apparently could only attack someone within sight. Daniel did not have that limitation. He could kill those his eyes could not see.

This time, when Daniel struck, he encountered resistance, as if his intended target was being shielded. His determination firmed, and the power of his attack increased. It pierced through the force shielding the Methra, and the one he was attacking fell. With its death, the shield was weakened, and the next died more quickly.

Daniel was so focused on his task that he failed to sense the approach of more Methra. Suddenly, the five remaining ones of the group became fifteen, and Daniel's power slammed up against a shield that he could not break through.

Before the aliens could come after him, Daniel hurried away, alarmed to discover that still more were converging upon him. All of them were in groups of ten or more. The Methra had learned their lesson, and the archeologist knew that he wouldn't find any more small groups. Even now, they were banding together into larger forces too powerful for him to overcome.

Once again, Daniel had become the hunted. He needed an escape route, someplace the Methra could not go. That's when he recalled something he and his teammates had seen earlier.

Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Daniel hurried to what he hoped would be his salvation or at least a place where he could rest for a while. But when he got within sight of it, he saw that his way was blocked by Methra. There was no way he'd be able to get past them.

Daniel's gaze went up. Could he do it? Knowing that it was the only option, he entered the building next to him, heading to the staircase.

By the time Daniel had reached the top floor, he was panting for air, his legs trembling with fatigue. Finding the access to the roof, he went out. He could sense several Methra coming up after him. There were many more below.

Daniel went to the edge of the building and looked across the space separating it from another structure, a distance far too great for anyone to jump.

"Oh, Jack. If you were only here to see this," he muttered as he backed up as far as he could go. He stuck his glasses in a pocket for safekeeping. And then he was running, reaching the edge in seconds. With a mighty leap, Daniel threw himself into the air . . . and, for a few incredible seconds, he flew. And then he was on the other side. He landed a little harder than intended, almost falling.

The structure he now stood upon had been under construction. Only the skeleton and part of a temporary roof existed. It stood alone at the center of a small park, a distance of at least a hundred and twenty feet separating it from every other building.

Daniel looked down at the only means to get up to where he was, an elevator-like car. Focusing his mind upon it, he ripped it off its track, and it toppled to the ground with a loud crash.

At that moment, he sensed a group of Methra come onto the roof of the building he'd just left. They came up to the edge and stared at him across the distance.

_'You have great power,'_ the voice said in his mind, _'power we have not encountered before. But we are many, and you are one. You cannot escape.' _

_'As a very good friend of mine would say, go suck on a lemon.' _

The Methra didn't appreciate the suggestion, though they probably didn't even know what a lemon was.

Minutes passed, the Methra making no move to come after him. Daniel sat down and took the opportunity to rest. He only had a mild headache, but he was physically exhausted. Closing his eyes, he allowed his body to rest as his mind kept an eye on the Methra. A large group of them had gathered at the base of the structure he was on. Smaller groups were now on the roofs of the only two other buildings nearby, which would prevent him from escaping that way. Could he "fly" farther? Probably so, if he could devote his entire attention to it. Unlike Superman, what he was doing wasn't really flying. He was using his telekinetic abilities to hold himself up. It was dangerous. Any distraction could be deadly, causing him to lose control and fall or crash into something. He'd really rather not do it again under these conditions, especially not in the dark.

At that moment, Daniel's second sight revealed something he had not anticipated. His eyes snapping open, he went to the edge and peered down. The Methra were climbing the frame of the building. He didn't understand how they were doing it, but they were, slowly yet insistently.

Crap. This was not good. He might have no choice but to escape to another rooftop. But what then? He couldn't keep bouncing from roof to roof. Sooner or later, he'd get too tired.

Daniel considered attacking the Methra climbing the building one by one, but no sooner had that thought occurred when he sensed that they were being shielded by the ones on the ground. Any attack against them would be useless.

Higher and higher, the Methra climbed. Daniel had to act now, before he ran out of time.

The archeologist looked up into the sky, wishing for the first time that he had the power to call down lightning. With that power, he could kill all the Methra within seconds. Of course, he'd never actually tried to do it, had he. He'd just assumed that he couldn't.

Daniel recalled the power he'd possessed as one of the ascended. On a distant, uninhabited world, he'd wielded his power over the elements, learning how to command the mighty force of lightning. Closing his eyes, he sought to do it again. After only a few seconds, he knew that it was beyond him.

And that's when he remembered something else.

Again, Daniel's eyes slid shut. Reaching deep inside himself, he called upon an ability that was not unlike one he'd already used many times before, but with one vital and much needed difference.

High above him, a small glowing spot appeared. Slowly it grew, like a star coming steadily closer. And then, suddenly, it expanded outward with blinding intensity, like a miniature supernova. It flooded the area with light, brilliant, blessed light.

With a portion of his mind, Daniel heard the Methra screaming as their eyes were pierced by the light. And then there were other screams as most of those who had been climbing lost their grip and fell to their deaths. But Daniel could spare no thought for them. All his attention was focused upon his small, sun-like creation, knowing that, if he lost focus for even a moment, it would vanish.

Across many blocks of the city, Teal'c looked out a window and saw a new star suddenly come into being very low in the sky.

"Colonel Carter! You must see this!" he called into his radio.

Sam came running in a few seconds later and went to the window. "What is that? It looks like a ball of superheated plasma. My God. Could Daniel be doing that? It would take a tremendous amount of power to create and maintain something like that. He has to be in trouble."

"We must aid him."

"I don't know how, Teal'c! I've been trying to find the reset switch, something to get the system back online, but I can't find it. Come on. Let's get back to the generator room."

They rushed back to the room, where the search for some sort of reset switch or button continued. Flashing her light about, Sam spotted something she hadn't seen before, a small panel on the back of the control console. She pushed at it, and it slid aside to reveal a blinking red light. Taking a chance, she pressed the light and was rewarded with the hum of the generator coming back on.

"Yes!"

Sam scrambled to her feet and watched the control screen come back to life with what was probably some kind of report. She got back to the previous screen and turned the lights in the building back on.

The astrophysicist stared at the screen. "Don't screw it up this time, Sam. You need to get it right."

--------------------------------------------------

The Methra ran from the light. Those on the roofs fled into the buildings, but the light shone in on them through the windows, and they were forced to escape to the stairwells. The Methra outside sought the shelter of buildings with no windows, their eyes burning like fire from the light. They cowered in the dark, hands covering their eyes, which were now half-blind.

Up on the roof of the partially constructed building, Daniel collapsed. The white fire above him flickered and died, but he barely noticed, the pain in his head too great for him to be aware of much of anything else.

After lying still for a minute or so, Daniel managed to roll over and get to his knees. He crawled to the edge and looked down. There were no Methra in sight, except for the ones lying dead on the ground. Apparently, all the ones that were climbing had fallen.

Daniel knew that, now that the light was gone, it would only be a matter of time before the Methra returned, and he had no other tricks up his sleeve. He wasn't even sure he'd have the ability to make it to another rooftop.

"Sam, I need help," he whispered.

Seconds later, his plea was answered. All around him, lights began coming on, in the buildings, in the streets. This time, they did not falter. Through the pain in his head, Daniel sensed the Methras' cry of agony, felt them fleeing, stumbling away, escaping from the light that was now all around them. Soon, they were too far away for him to sense. With his mental vision, he watched them continue to run, arms covering their eyes.

And then darkness covered Daniel's mind, and he tumbled into it.

--------------------------------------------------

Sam and Teal'c moved cautiously down the lighted streets, their eyes and ears scanning for danger. The empty streets felt more eery than they had in the light of day, the utter silence almost unnerving.

But the mind of neither of the teammates was on that. They'd been trying to contact Daniel for several minutes now and received nothing but silence. Sam was terribly worried about what had happened to him. She and Teal'c were heading toward the area of the city where that bright ball of light had formed, making the assumption that they'd find Daniel there.

At last they came to a surprising sight. Fourteen Methra lay dead at the base of a partially constructed building. By the condition of their bodies, it was obvious that they'd fallen from a great height. Sam's and Teal'c's eyes traveled upward to the top of the structure.

"It appears that Daniel Jackson may have taken a stand upon this structure," Teal'c said.

"Yeah, but how are we going to get up there? The elevator's been wrecked, and there aren't any handholds on those beams. We need to take a look and see if he's there."

The two members of SG-1 went to another building and headed up to the top. The large moon was out, casting enough light to see across the distance, but they couldn't see Daniel. There were a few pieces of large equipment on the roof, casting deep shadows. It was possible that Daniel lay hidden in one of those shadows.

Sam took her binoculars from her pack and scanned the shadows with them. It didn't take her long to find what she was searching for. Daniel lay not far from the edge. He wasn't moving.

"Teal'c, he's in trouble. It looks like he's unconscious." Sam refused to believe that he was dead. "We have to figure out a way to get over there."

"With the use of ropes, we may succeed in scaling the structure."

Thankful that there was a coil of rope in Teal'c's pack, they went back down to the street and over to the building they needed to climb. Also in the pack was a folding grappling hook. After attaching the rope, Teal'c opened the hook and tossed it up toward one of the crossbeams. The grappling hook did its job and caught on the edge. After making sure it was secure, the Jaffa climbed the rope and held it as Sam came up after him.

Slowly, Sam and Teal'c scaled the building. The astrophysicist soon began to tire, her arms and hands aching from pulling her weight. They rested several times, perched precariously on the narrow crossbeams.

At last, they were almost to the top, which presented a new problem. A temporary roof had been attached to the top crossbeams, leaving nothing for the grappling hook to secure to. Scanning the roof, they saw that it did not go all the way across. If they could get over to a section with no roof, they could get to the top.

With utmost care, Teal'c and Sam inched across the beams. It seemed to take forever to reach a spot where Teal'c could use the grappling hook. At last, they were on the roof and running toward where Daniel lay. Sam went to her knees beside him and felt for a pulse. She found one, strong and steady.

"He's just unconscious," she said in great relief. "He probably overdid it." She patted Daniel's cheek lightly. "Daniel? Come on, Daniel. Wake up."

For several seconds, there was no response at all, and Sam grew concerned that he might have caused some damage inside his brain. Then the faintest of moans came from his lips.

"That's it, Daniel. Come on." She stroked a hand through his hair.

Daniel moaned again, then his eyes slowly blinked open. He stared at Sam with slightly unfocused eyes.

"Sam?" he whispered.

She smiled down at him. "Yeah. It's okay. We're all safe. I'm pretty sure the Methra are gone. How's your head?"

"Still attached . . . unfortunately."

Sam gave him some pain meds for the headache and told him to lie still and rest. She put her blanket roll under his head for a pillow. Then she walked off a few yards with Teal'c.

"I do not believe that Daniel Jackson will be capable of descending the building without aid," Teal'c said.

"Yeah. We're going to have to tie the rope around him and lower him one section at a time. But we'll have to wait until he's stronger."

They returned to their teammate, who'd fallen asleep. Since Sam and Teal'c never got around to eating, they decided to do so now.

"As long as we can keep the city lit, we'll probably be safe from the Methra," Sam remarked. "All we have to do is wait for a ship to be sent."

"And what will become of the villagers once we are gone?"

"That's a problem. I don't know if the Methra are a race that seeks revenge, but Daniel caused the death of quite a few of them. They might decide to take it out on the human inhabitants. We could send the Prometheus to transport the villagers to another location, tell them to stay in the city until then, but what about all the other humans here? There are way too many to transport to another planet by ship. It would take months, maybe even years."

"The Methra are the invaders. It is they who should be required to leave."

Sam nodded. "I agree, but I don't know how we could do it. With the weapons on the Prometheus, we could wipe them all out, but, regardless of what they've done, we don't have the right to exterminate them."

The question of what to do about the situation was put on hold until they could all discuss it together.

Nearly two hours had passed when Daniel awoke.

Sam gave him a smile. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Better. How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple of hours. Do you think you feel strong enough to sit up?"

"Um . . . yeah, I think so." Daniel sat up with Sam's help. "How did you get up here?"

"With a rope, which, I'm afraid, is how we're going to have to get back down."

"Maybe not. We could get back down somewhat the same way I got up."

"And how's that? I assumed that you used that elevator thing."

"Uh, no. There were Methra blocking my way to this building. I had to get here another way."

"How?"

"I, um . . . sort of flew."

Sam blinked a couple of times. "You flew?"

"Sort of."

"Like Superman."

"Not even close. I jumped across from another building, using my telekinetic abilities to keep me from falling."

"Wow."

Daniel sighed. "I predict that Jack is going to have a field day with this. I'd just better not come into work one day and find tights and a cape in my locker."

Sam smiled slightly. "Do you have the strength to do something like that now?"

"No, probably not yet, at least not safely. Maybe in another hour or so."

"Then we'll wait. It's not like we have to be anywhere any time soon. Besides, what you're proposing will be a lot faster and safer than the only other way to get down."

Daniel gave himself another hour to recover. At the end of it, he still had the headache, but it wasn't too bad, and he felt a lot stronger.

SG-1 stood at the edge of the roof, looking down.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Sam asked.

"I'll lower you and Teal'c down first."

"Okay, so what do I-- Eee!"

Sam's cry of surprise was caused by feeling herself suddenly lifted off the ground. She was carried out over the edge, and she instinctively stiffened. But she needn't have worried. Daniel's telekinetic abilities safely lowered her at a gentle pace until her feet touched the ground. She looked up, and, after a few moments, saw a dark figure that she assumed was Teal'c. When she was close enough to see his face, she had to hide a smile. His expression told her that he wasn't especially comfortable with the means of transportation. She recalled his reaction to having to jump out of a plane.

The teammates looked up, waiting for Daniel to begin his descent. Sam gasped, her heart going up into her throat, when the archeologist suddenly jumped off the roof. His descent was a whole lot faster than theirs had been, and, for a terrible moment, Sam thought that he'd lost control. But then he slowed, landing lightly.

"Wow again," she said. "You did that like you've done it a hundred times."

"No, just once before and not nearly from that high up. Five or six years ago, I doubt I could have done it that calmly."

"Yes, you used to have a thing about heights, didn't you. At least that's what you said once."

"Yeah. It wasn't really bad, though. I wasn't acrophobic. I just wasn't very fond of high places. I was pretty much over it by the time we all had to jump out of that plane over Siberia."

"A most unpleasant experience," Teal'c said, frowning.

Daniel walked up to one of the dead Methra. He pushed aside the hood to reveal a thin, bony face with white skin and huge eyes.

"Do you recognize them, Teal'c?" he asked. "Have you ever heard any stories about creatures like this?"

"I have not, Daniel Jackson. If any Goa'uld ever encountered them, it was never made known to the other System Lords."

"If a Goa'uld ever ran afoul of one of the Methra, they'd probably either have tried to wipe out the entire race, like they attempted to do with the Reetou, or sought to capture and study them, like what happened with the Reol."

"The alien race of which one made us believe that he was a fifth member of SG-1."

Daniel nodded. "The Methras' psychic abilities would be considered a threat."

"Just as yours are."

"Yeah." Daniel looked around at the dead. "I wish this hadn't been necessary. I wish the Methra could have been our allies instead of our enemies. Their abilities might have been a big help."

"There's no point in feeling regret, Daniel," Sam said, "and it certainly wasn't your fault that they reacted as they did. Come on. Let's go."

SG-1 returned to the warehouse. The villagers were delighted to see them.

"My friends!" Kelith called out as he strode forward to greet them. "When you did not return, we feared the worst. What of the Methra?"

"They're gone," Daniel replied. "They ran away once the lights came on."

"The lights are glorious! If we had such things in our village, we would no longer have to fear night attacks from the Methra."

"Um . . . yeah," Sam said. "Speaking of that, we're kind worried about what will happen after we leave. We're afraid that the Methra might attack you out of revenge."

"I caused the death of several of them," Daniel explained, "and they might be pretty angry."

Concern filled Kelith's eyes. "What can we do?"

"Well, there are a few options," Sam replied. "One is that you live permanently in the city. I could teach you how to turn the lights on and off, and I know that there must be a plumbing system for water."

Daniel took over. "The second option is that we move your people to another location, far enough away from these Methra that they'd never be able to reach you. A third is that we take you and as many of the humans on this planet as we can to another world, where you will all be safe from the Methra forever."

"But this is our home," Kelith said. "We have known no other."

"This is something you should talk about with your people. For the present, though, it would be best for you to remain in the city, until we figure out what to do."

It was quite late, and Daniel was still a little shaky, so SG-1 got busy preparing a place to sleep near the main door. Just to be on the safe side, one of them would remain on guard. Sam and Teal'c tried to insist that Daniel be excluded from the watch schedule, but he was having none of it.

As Teal'c took the first watch, his teammates lay down on their sleeping bags. Sam could tell that Daniel was worried about the humans of this world.

"We'll figure something out," she said.

"I hope so. I can't leave until I know that they'll be okay."


	40. Chapter 40

CHAPTER FORTY

Over breakfast, Daniel revealed to his teammates what he'd gone through the previous night. They were dismayed by how close he'd come to not making it out of this alive. Since gain his abilities, this had been the first time that Daniel had gone up against beings with powerful psychic powers who could actually use them, and it had almost been too much for him. Yet, in the end, he'd still managed to come out the winner.

"I wouldn't have made it if you hadn't gotten those lights on," he said to Sam.

"I just wish I'd gotten them on sooner." She studied his face closely. She could tell that he was really bothered by some of the things he'd been forced to do. Teal'c, too, could see it.

"Your actions against the Methra were warranted, Daniel Jackson," he said. "They were seeking your death and would not have hesitated to kill you if given the opportunity."

"Teal'c's right," Sam said. "You did what you had to."

Daniel sighed. "It just bothers me that I had to kill them like that, when they were not in a position to fight back. But you're right. They were trying to kill me, and it was the only way that I could beat them. I just hope that I'll never have to do something like that again."

Sam could tell that, in spite of what he just said, Daniel was still having a problem with it. But now was not the time to talk about it. So, instead, she gave him a look of understanding and said, "Me too."

Once the meal was finished, they went to the power station. Daniel's limited ability to read the language was a huge help, and Sam soon had the entire system figured out. She saw that power could be supplied just to certain sections of the city. They also found the way to turn on the elevated train system, as well as the subway. Sam estimated that, overall, the technology was roughly thirty or forty years ahead of Earth's, more than that when it came to some things, less with others. If it hadn't been for the fact that the city appeared to have been stripped bare, they could probably have found a lot of valuable technology. Even so, there was more than one scientist in the program who would love to have examined the city's systems, as well as those robots. That, however, would not be possible, not with the Methra here.

The team was on their way back to the warehouse when Daniel sensed something. He looked up at the sky.

"The cavalry's arrived," he said.

A few seconds later, they heard a familiar sound. Then Osiris' Al'Kesh came into view. It came to a stop a few hundred feet above their heads.

"SG-1, this is SG-3 and SG-11," said the voice of Reynolds. "Do you copy?"

Sam keyed her radio. "This is SG-1. It's good to see you guys."

"General O'Neill sends his regards and a request to know what the hell's going on."

"We've run into a bit of trouble down here. Everything is secure for now, but the gate is not accessible."

"Do you want us to beam you up?"

"No," Daniel replied. "There's a problem that needs to be dealt with. Can you land? We'll explain everything to you."

The Al'Kesh was set down just outside the city. SG-1 met it and filled the other SG teams in on what had been going on.

"So, these Methra can only come out at night?" the leader of SG-11 asked.

"Unless they stick to the forest," Daniel replied. "Their eyes are extremely sensitive to light. They're probably originally from a planet with very little sunlight."

"And they've got powers like you."

"No, not quite like me, but they do have psychic abilities of some sort, and those abilities are deadly. They came pretty close to killing me. They've killed quite a few humans since they came to this planet. I'm afraid that, sooner or later, the human population is going to be seriously threatened by them."

"Well, we did a quick scan of this general area when we came in," Reynolds said, "and the sensors detected a population of around a hundred thousand. So, obviously, evacuating the people is not an option. Not even moving them all to one of the other continents would be possible."

Daniel was only half-listening. He was staring at the Al'Kesh.

"What are you thinking, Daniel?" Sam asked.

"I'm thinking that we've got this backwards. We've been talking about ways that we can get the humans out of here, but there is another option: get the Methra off the planet."

"Teal'c and I talked a little about that, but we didn't see how it could be done."

"Well, it all depends on what they did to the Stargate. If it's just temporarily buried and can be uncovered, we can get them to leave that way."

"What is your plan, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"I think it's time we started bluffing."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel came to a stop around a hundred feet from the edge of the forest. He could sense that he was being watched. There were at least forty Methra not far away.

_'It's time for us to talk,'_ he said in his mind.

_'We hear you, killer of our people.' _

_'You were trying to kill me, hunting me like an animal even though I told you that I was not a threat to you. I did what was necessary to survive. You've killed many of my kind since you came to this world, people who meant you no harm, who only wished to live in peace.' _

_'This is our place now. We have laid claim to it.' _

_'I don't know how things are done in your society, but where I come from, it's wrong to invade another's homeland and force them to leave. The humans were here long before you were. This is their planet, their home . . . and you are not welcome here.' _

_'It is ours now. We will not leave.' _

Daniel spoke into his radio. "Reynolds, bring her in."

A short while later, the Al'Kesh appeared. It swooped low across the plain and came to a stop a few dozen yards behind Daniel, hovering in the air.

_'This ship has powerful weapons that can decimate the forest and kill many of you. We have a ship far larger that could completely destroy you.'_ Daniel got on the radio again. "Give them a demonstration, guys."

The Al'Kesh lifted higher in the air, circling away. Then it dove for the ground. Two glowing balls of energy dropped from its underside and struck the earth with violent explosions.

"That'll do, guys. Thanks." Daniel turned back to the forest. _'That was just a small example of the power we can unleash against you.' _

There was a long moment of silence. _'What is it that you want of us?' _

_'We want you to leave, to go through the Stargate and never return. I can give you the address for a planet with a thick cloud cover that the sun rarely shines through. There are dense forests there and no human life.' _

_'And if we do not agree to this?' _

_'Then you'll die,'_ Daniel replied bluntly, hoping the Methra wouldn't call his bluff. He didn't really have any intention of wiping the aliens out, even if permission was given to do it.

_'I will return before the sun sets,'_ he said. _'I'll expect an answer by then. And don't get any ideas about attacking us after dark. This ship will be taken out into orbit, where it will have the ability to watch every move you make.' _

Daniel told the Al'Kesh to pick him up. A few seconds later, he was beamed aboard and taken back to the city.

"How did it go?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I could tell that they weren't happy. I guess it's all going to depend on how smart and how stubborn they are. I'm offering them a planet that would seem to be more suited to their needs, so that should be an incentive."

"And if the Methra refuse to leave?" Teal'c asked.

"Then we'll drop a few bombs around them, drive home the point a little harder. If they still won't leave . . . I don't know. We'll have to figure something else out."

"Jackson, this is Reynolds. Come in."

Daniel pressed the button on his radio. "Daniel here."

"I've contacted the SGC. General O'Neill wants to speak to you."

"Yeah, I bet he does. Okay, come get me."

A few minutes later, Daniel was on the Al'Kesh and talking to the SGC.

"Hey, Jack."

"Daniel. So nice to hear your voice. We've been filled in on what's going on. You always seem to meet the nicest people."

"Yes, don't we."

"These Methra sound pretty nasty."

"Unfortunately, they are. Did Reynolds tell you about our plan?"

"Yes, he did," Jack replied. "You know, I recall a time when you'd have tried to negotiate a peace between those guys and the human population."

"If I had even the smallest hope that such a thing would be possible, I'd have tried it, but I would have been wasting my breath. The Methra aren't interested in peace nor in sharing the forests of this planet, and they will continue to kill any human who goes into the woods. These people live in constant fear of them. Their lives have been made very hard by the actions of the Methra. We have the power to fix things, and I intend to do it."

"I'm not gonna say no, Daniel, so don't go getting on your high horse. As far as I'm concerned, you can chase all those aliens right through the gate, and good riddance to them."

"Thanks, Jack."

"So, how long do you think it'll take to wrap things up?"

"That's hard to say. Assuming the Methra agree to leave, it all depends on how long they take to undo whatever they did to the gate and get everyone through. Hopefully, they'll get started on that tonight."

"Okay. Keep me informed. O'Neill out."

Half an hour before sunset, Daniel had the Al'Kesh take him back to the place he'd talked to the Methra. He could sense that there were even more there this time, a _lot_ more, enough that it was making Daniel more than a little nervous. He was pretty sure that he was beyond the range of their abilities, though, and, if there was any trouble, the Al'Kesh could beam him out in an instant.

_'What have you decided?'_ Daniel asked.

_'You have given us no choice but to accept your offer. But there is no trust in you. The planet you send us to may not be as you claim.' _

_'Everything I said about it is true, but, if you want proof, that can be arranged. Is the mechanical device that came through the Stargate before we did still working?' _

_'We did no harm to it. We only buried the portal with rocks so that it would not function.' _

_'That thing is called a MALP. We can send it through the Stargate first, and it will send back pictures of what the area on the other side looks like. Our ship will send down to you a device that you can see the pictures on.' _

There was a moment of silence. _'That is acceptable.' _

_'When will the Stargate be ready?' _

_'We have begun to remove the stones. The portal will be in its former place by the time night descends.' _

_'All right. We'll come back then.' _

It was dark when Daniel returned. This time, he spoke to the Methra from inside the Al'Kesh. He wasn't going to take the chance that they'd decide to attack him.

A video monitor was beamed down to the Methra, and Daniel told them how to make it work. He gave the aliens the address of the planet via mental images of the glyphs, and it was dialed. The MALP was sent through and began broadcasting video. After watching the images for a few seconds, the Methra were satisfied with what they saw.

_'We will go to this other world. Our people have begun gathering. By midday tomorrow, we will be gone.' _

Throughout that night and into the next day, the crew onboard the Al'Kesh watched the Methra from orbit. As the aliens promised, by noon, they were all gone, having quickly and efficiently transported their entire population through the gate.

SG-1 and SG-11 were beamed down to the gate, checking to make sure everything was okay. Everyone then returned to the city and told the villagers the good news.

"The Methra are truly gone?" one woman asked.

"Yes, they're gone, and they'll never come back," Daniel replied. "You are all free to enter the forest without fear."

"We have no words to thank you for what you have done," Kelith said. "When the other villages and towns hear of this, they will rejoice. We will send messengers out right away."

As the villagers got busy packing their things, SG-1 and SG-3 went outside.

"Well, I guess that's it," Reynolds said. He looked at Daniel. "I never did ask you what planet you sent the Methra to."

"P5S-798."

The leader of SG-3 frowned. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the planet we evacuated the inhabitants from because it suffered frequent storms and rained most of the year?"

"Yep."

"And isn't it also the one with the DHD that was totally fried by a lightning strike."

"Uh huh."

With the tiniest of smiles, Daniel walked away.

"Daniel Jackson was quite displeased with the actions the Methra took against the human inhabitants of this world, as well as by their attempts to kill him." Teal'c stated.

Reynolds watched the departing archeologist. "Yes, I'd say he must have been.""

Sam was smiling. "I doubt the Methra will be very happy once they realize the state of the weather in their new home and find out they can't leave."

Reynolds turned to her. "Couldn't they use the Naquadah generator you guys used to dial the gate back when you were there?"

"It's not there anymore. Those generators aren't cheap, so we've made arrangements with the Tok'ra to retrieve any that we left behind, if they're ever in the neighborhood. We got that one back quite a while ago."

"Then the Methra really are stuck there."

Teal'c smiled very slightly. "Indeed they are."

Sam shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, they got off light for what they did. There are a whole lot of planets Daniel could have sent them to that would have been way worse. And it is possible that the weather might not be as bad on one of the other continents, although to get there, they'd have to cross the ocean, which the inhabitants told us would pretty much be suicide throughout most of the year. Violent storms whip the sea into a frenzy."

Once the villagers were on their way back to their home, SG-1 decided to conduct a more thorough exploration of the city. SG-11 stayed with the Al'Kesh, SG-3 joining Daniel, Teal'c and Sam.

As they'd already discovered in other buildings, the former inhabitants appeared to have taken all their possessions with them.

"I wonder what made them pack up and leave," said a member of SG-3.

"Well, obviously, they weren't in a hurry," Sam responded. "Too bad they weren't. They'd probably have left behind a lot of stuff we could have used."

They came across a building that, according to the sign, was the city government's headquarters. They went inside. In the center of the large foyer was a round black pedestal that looked out of place there, as if it had been a recent addition.

Sam ran her scanner over it. "I'm picking up energy readings."

Daniel studied the writing. "It's a note to whomever finds it. According to this, there's a recorded message inside."

Not sensing any danger, Daniel pressed the button that would turn the recording on. He stepped back, startled, as a holographic human figure formed above the pedestal. It began speaking in the variation of Ancient used by the robots. There were other buttons on the pedestal, and he noticed that beneath some of them were words in different languages. He picked the one in Ancient, and the voice changed to that language.

"Greetings. We are the Kenterans. This city you are within is one of several that we built on this world. For more than a hundred and fifty years, this planet was our home, but it was not the place of our heart. We had been driven from our homeworld by a powerful enemy that enslaved the rest of our people. We always hoped that, someday, we would reclaim our world from those enemies. And then, one day, it happened. We received word that an uprising had overthrown the ones who took away our home and the freedom of so many of us. All of us who lived on this planet decided to go home and help restore the former glory of our people. But we chose to leave behind mechanical workers to maintain the cities we'd built here and protect them from animals and anyone who would seek to damage them. Since you are here, listening to this message, it means that you have convinced the mechanical guardians that you mean no harm.

"If you are looking for a new home, we welcome you to take this city and the others as your own. All of the systems are operational and need only have power restored to them. There are instructions within this device, as well as a map to help you locate important facilities. We only ask that you respect what we have left behind and do no harm to it. It may be that, someday, we will return. If that day comes, we would seek friendship with anyone who proved themselves worthy."

The message ended, and the hologram winked out. Daniel told the others what he'd learned.

"Well, at least now we know why they left," Sam said. "I wonder where their homeworld is. It sounds like they'd be an ally, if we could find them."

"A lot may have changed in the centuries since this message was recorded," Daniel pointed out. "We have no way of knowing what's happened since then."

After the hologram ended, a control screen had come up. Daniel was glad to see that it was in Ancient. Reading what was on the screen, he saw that the device apparently contained more than just a map and instructions for turning the systems on. There was also some historical information.

"I'd like to see what's in here," he said.

"Okay," Sam responded. "We'll continue exploring the vicinity. Bring up the map so that we can see if there's anything of particular interest in the area."

Daniel did so, and Sam made note of several places not far away that were worth a closer look.

Alone, Daniel went through the information contained in the pedestal. He found some historical records on the Kenterans' homeworld. Thinking that they might be able to find out where the people went after all, Daniel dug deeper. He hadn't been at it for all that long when he found what he was looking for.

"Oh no," he murmured. He got on the radio. "Sam, I found out where the Kenterans' homeworld is. It's not good news."

"Hold on. We're not far from there. We'll head back."

A few minutes later, the group came in.

"What did you find out?" Sam asked.

"Their homeworld was BP6-3Q1, Sam."

It took a moment for the astrophysicist to recall which planet that was. When she did, her heart sank. "Oh no."

"Which planet is that?" SG-3's 2IC asked.

"The population was wiped out by big flying insects," Daniel replied. "We went there around six years ago, and Teal'c was stung by one of them. He almost died."

"Yeah, I remember reading about that," Reynolds said. "Nasty."

Daniel sighed sadly. "They succeeded in defeating one enemy only to be wiped out by another. If only some of the refugees from the war had stayed here. At least then their civilization would have been preserved."

Sam frowned slightly in puzzlement. "From what we saw of the technology level on that world, it was right around the same as this city is, maybe just slightly higher. I'd have thought that there would have been significant advancements in all those years."

"It's possible that they had to do a lot of rebuilding after the war and that it set them back technologically. I guess it doesn't really matter now."

Their mood subdued, SG-1 and SG-3 resumed exploring the city. Every once in a while, one of the robots could be seen in the distance, and Daniel couldn't help but think about the fact that they were protecting this city and keeping it maintained for the return of people who would never come.

Jack had only given them the rest of that day for exploration, so, as the sun began sinking toward the horizon, SG-1 returned to the village, the inhabitants of which were quite startled when the team was beamed down right before their eyes.

"We're going home soon," Daniel told Kelith, "but people from our world will be returning. We want to continue exploring the cities. We'd also like to help you recover from the trouble with the Methra, bring food and other things you need."

"We will welcome your people. We owe a great debt to you. Blessings be upon you, Daniel," he looked at the archeologist's teammates, "upon all of you."

Instead of covering the distance by foot, SG-1 and SG-3 were beamed down to the gate. SG-11 would be taking the Al'Kesh home.

"Ready to go home?" Sam asked Daniel.

"More than ready."

For more than one reason, the archeologist had not been looking forward to the debriefing. He was pretty sure he knew what he'd have to deal with. He was right. When they got to the part where he chose to make the Methra come after him, Jack was not pleased.

"And that's the best plan you could come up with?" the general asked.

"Yes, pretty much," the archeologist replied. "I had to keep the Methra away from the villagers, and having them chasing me instead was the only thing I could think of. If I had known at the time that they'd be able to track me so easily, I might have thought twice about it."

"And then gone ahead and done it anyway."

"Yes, probably so."

Jack sighed silently, thinking that Daniel would be the death of him yet. "Okay, so you had sixty of those things on your ass. Obviously, you managed to stay ahead of them."

Daniel recounted his adventure. Though he skimmed over the part where he became the hunter and started killing Methra, Jack could tell that it was bothering him a lot and decided that they'd need to have a talk about it later.

Finally, Daniel got to the part that he was dreading the most. "Um, once the Methra caught onto what I was doing, I had to start running again. I knew that I couldn't keep going like that indefinitely, that, eventually, they'd catch me, especially since I was getting pretty tired. I needed someplace to rest and be safe from them, at least for a while. Earlier, we'd passed a partially constructed skyscraper. The only way to the top was an elevator. I figured that, if I could get to the roof then disable the elevator, the Methra wouldn't be able to reach me. I'd be out of range of their abilities because the closest structure was over a hundred feet away."

"Sounds like a good plan. What happened?"

"The Methra were blocking my way, so I, uh, had to get to the building another way."

"What other way?"

Knowing there was no way he could get out of telling Jack, Daniel replied. "I went to the roof of one of the nearby buildings and, uh . . . jumped."

Jack sat staring at him for several agonizing seconds.

"I'm sorry. I think I heard wrong," the general finally said. "I could have sworn that you said you jumped."

"Yes."

"From the room of another building."

"Yes."

"A distance of a hundred feet."

Daniel sighed. "It was probably closer to a hundred and twenty."

"I stand corrected. You know, when we were all wearing those superpower armbands, maybe we could have jumped that far, but I'm not seeing any fancy alien jewelry on your arm, Daniel, so I have to ask myself how you managed that feat."

"I used my telekinetic abilities to keep me from falling."

Jack stared at him for several more very uncomfortable seconds. "Okay, so let me get this straight. You leapt over a hundred-twenty-foot gap and kept yourself airborne with your abilities?"

"Yes."

The tiniest of smiles began to form on Jack's lips. "Which is a wordy way of saying that you flew."

"It wasn't flying, Jack, not really."

"It sounds like flying to me." Jack turned to Teal'c. "Doesn't it sound like flying to you?"

"Indeed."

The Jaffa was subjected to a heated glare from Daniel, which he completely ignored.

Jack next looked at Sam. "Doesn't it sound like flying to you, Carter?"

Sam took one look at Daniel and said, "No comment, sir."

"Coward," Jack responded. The faint smile grew into an amused expression. "So, Daniel. Did you flap your arms?"

"Jack," Daniel growled.

"Or did you do a Superman and just shoot across?"

"Jack, cut it out."

The general paid no attention to the request. He was having too much fun. "We'll have to get you a suit. Not blue and red, though. That's too tacky. How about a nice, understated grey? Or maybe a powder blue. I could probably come up with a logo to put on the chest, a fancy 'S' and 'D' for SuperDaniel."

Daniel was not amused, especially since he knew that Jack might actually do it.

"Jack, you are really pushing it," he said in a tone of warning.

The man paid no attention to the warning. "Hey. We could have a contest. People come up with designs for the suit and logo, and we pick the best of the bunch."

There was a very brief moment of silence, then Daniel quite surprisingly said, "Sure, Jack. Sounds great. So, would you like me to give you a demonstration, show you how I did it?"

Jack really looked at the archeologist for the first time. There was a dangerous light in Daniel's eyes that made him a little nervous. He finally considered the fact that teasing a man who could do what Daniel could might not be the smartest thing in the world to do.

"Um, no, that won't be necessary," he replied cautiously.

"Oh, come on, Jack. I know you must be curious. After all, how often do you see a man flying without the assistance of special effects?"

Jack stared at Daniel. The man's expression was bland, and the general had to wonder what was going through his mind. Jack's instincts were telling him to say no again, but he had to admit that he was curious.

"Uhhhh . . . okay, but don't-- Whoa!"

Jack's exclamation was caused by suddenly finding himself airborne, floating near the ceiling.

"Like the demonstration, Jack?" Daniel asked, smiling tightly. "How about if I zip you around the room a few times so that you can get the full feeling of flight?"

"Dammit, Daniel! Put me down!"

"What's wrong, Jack? You're a pilot. I thought you liked to fly."

"Very funny, Daniel. Now put me the hell down!"

"If you insist."

Jack let out a shout as he started falling. Before he hit the floor, however, his descent slowed, and he was lowered gently to his feet.

Straightening his clothes, Jack returned to his seat with as much dignity as he could muster. Sam was pointedly not looking at him to avoid breaking into peals of laughter. Teal'c looked on with the corners of his mouth quirked upward in amusement.

"Shall we continue?" Jack asked, pretending like nothing had happened.

Daniel went on to explain how the Methra began climbing the girders of the building and what he did in response.

"Daniel, I didn't ask you before, but what exactly did you do?" Sam asked. "From where we were, it looked like a ball of superheated plasma."

"That's pretty much what it was. It was something I learned how to do when I was ascended, although it was a whole lot easier back then."

"Too bad you couldn't just fry them all with lightning," Jack remarked.

"I tried. It's the first time I've actually tried to do that. It didn't work."

"Bummer."

"Maybe with a whole lot more concentration, I could do it, but I have a feeling that it would drain me too much. Making that ball of light pretty much did me in. I lost consciousness. But at least it did what I intended. The Methra couldn't stand the light and ran away."

Sam took over. "Just a few seconds after that, I succeeded in getting the lights in the city turned on, and they apparently made the Methra leave. When we got to where Daniel was, we found several dead Methra, the ones who'd been climbing the building. They must have lost their grip and fell."

"We succeeded in ascending the structure using a rope and came to Daniel Jackson's aid," Teal'c said.

"And how did you get back down?" Jack asked.

"Once Daniel was recovered enough, he lowered us down telekinetically, then did the same for himself," Sam replied, having no intention of revealing that Daniel's descent was more like a jump.

SG-1 finished recounting the events, including Daniel's "deal" with the Methra. That last bit made Jack smile in satisfaction upon hearing where the Methra had been sent.

"Oh, I bet they're not gonna be happy as the wet season goes on, and on, and on," he said.

"Probably not," Daniel agreed.

"I like your style, Daniel."

"Thanks."

All levity ended as the archeologist talked about the pedestal they found and what it revealed.

"Damn," Jack cursed. "Talk about rotten luck."

"I suppose there is some hope that those bugs didn't spread across their entire homeworld," Sam said. "Some fragments of the civilization may have survived."

"So, find anything interesting in the city?"

"I'd love to examine their power system more fully, and those robots are pretty amazing. The ones that were programmed for maintenance have managed to maintain that city in perfect working order for centuries."

"No weapons, I suppose."

"No, sir, not that we saw."

"The Kenterans took most of their things with them when they left," Daniel explained.

"Well, I'm sure that the scientists will have fun there anyway," Jack said.

Sam nodded in agreement. "We definitely need to get samples of that metal that was used to construct the buildings."

"You know, it seems a real shame that those cities are just sitting there, not being used."

"If the robots were reprogrammed to allow them in, some of the present human population might eventually move into the cities," Daniel responded, "but it's completely alien to the way of life they're used to."

"Actually, I had kind of a crazy idea," Sam said.

"Hey, you know me," Jack responded. "I like crazy. Hit me with it."

"Well, those cities are just sitting there, in perfect working order, all ready to be inhabited again. We've been setting up bases on other worlds, places we could evacuate a small number of people to in case of emergency, but what about having an Earth colony?"

"A colony?" Daniel repeated. "How could we do that? We can't just go out and ask for families to volunteer to start a colony on a new world."

"No, but we could probably find scientists and other people with valuable skills who have no family ties on Earth and would be willing to go, just like Doctor Weir did when she chose people to go to Atlantis. If we got people from all the countries that know about the program, we could probably come up with quite a few. And if there were no restrictions against people marrying. . . ."

"Then, sooner or later, nature would take its course, and we'd have ourselves an actual colony," Jack finished. "I like it."

Daniel thought about it. "It could work. The fact that it's an address probably unknown by the Goa'uld is a plus."

"And with the Prometheus' new hyperdrive, it would be quick and easy to ship supplies there," Sam added.

"There is one thing, though."

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"We'd have to ask permission from Kelith's people. It is their world, after all. Maybe we could offer them a trade agreement of some kind. They're a hunter/gatherer society. Teaching them how to farm and raise livestock would dramatically improve their way of life."

Jack nodded. "All right. I'll talk to the president about it, see what he says."


	41. Chapter 41

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Daniel was in the midst of writing his mission report when Jack came in.

Not looking at him, the archeologist said, "Jack, if you're here for some more less than amusing remarks about my . . . 'flight', you can just turn around and leave," he finally turned to the man, "that is unless you'd like to do some more flying yourself."

Jack held up his hands. "No thanks. I'd rather keep my feet on the ground." He walked up to the desk. "Actually, I'm here about something else. I could tell that you're having an issue with killing those Methra like you did."

Daniel turned back to the computer screen. "I'm handling it."

"I'm sure you are, Daniel, in the same way that you handle everything like that, by bottling it up inside, trying to ignore it, and pretending that you're fine."

"I _am_ fine," Daniel insisted.

"Sure you are."

Daniel glanced at Jack, who was watching him expectantly. He gave a sigh.

"It's just bothering me. I never liked having to kill. Even after all these years, I still don't like having to do it. I know that, most of the time, it's necessary. Usually, it's a kill or be killed situation. But. . . ."

"But you were not cut out to be a killer," Jack said softly. "I know, Daniel. I've known that from the start. To be honest, in the beginning, I thought you were the type who couldn't even pull the trigger. Imagine my surprise when you proved otherwise in the fight against Ra. You're not like me, Daniel. I have no problem with killing if it's something I think needs doing. You've learned that yourself over these years. But you know what? I'm glad you're not like me, not when it comes to that. I don't ever want killing to become easy for you."

Jack rolled a chair up and straddled it. "I understand why this thing with the Methra is bothering you. Frankly, I'd be surprised if it _wasn't_ bothering you. I bet you've been thinking, 'If only there had been some other way.' Maybe you're even thinking now that you should have just kept running, not gone after any of them."

Daniel's gaze dropped to his lap. He _had_ been thinking that very thing.

Jack saw the younger man's expression and guessed that he'd hit the nail on the head. "Sure, you could have just kept running, Daniel, but the odds were sixty to one against you. Any soldier in that situation would have taken the opportunity to take out a few of the enemy. The smaller the force against him, the greater his chances would be to survive. Though you may not be a soldier, you _are_ a smart man, and not doing everything within your power to increase your chances of survival would have been stupid. Every airman and marine on this base would have done the same thing, including Carter. You killed eight of those things. That was eight less enemies hunting you. For all we know, if you _hadn't_ killed them, you'd be dead now."

Jack studied the face of the man before him. "Here's something else for you to think about. If Carter and Teal'c had been with you, if you were all being hunted by those things, and you had done it to help protect not just your life but theirs as well, how would you be feeling now?"

Daniel knew that if it had been more than his life at stake, he wouldn't be having nearly as much of an issue about this.

"And here's another one for you," Jack said. "What if it had been Carter out there all alone and being hunted by those aliens. Or what if it had been Teal'c, or me, or, hell, anyone else? Would you have an issue with them taking the opportunity to kill some of those Methra if it gave them a greater chance to survive?"

Daniel sighed again, knowing that he'd have wanted anyone in that situation to do all they could to make it out alive. "No."

"Then what's the difference? Because it's you and not someone else? If it would be okay for someone else to do it, then it should be okay for you to. Anything less is a double standard, not to mention damn unfair to you."

The wisdom of Jack's words sank in. Daniel mentally shook his head. And some people thought the man was stupid.

He finally looked at Jack. "Better watch out, Jack. Your dumb act is slipping."

A tiny smile curved Jack's lips. "Then I guess I'd better leave now before I start sounding like Carter." He got to his feet. "So, you okay?"

Daniel gave him a small nod and the ghost of a smile. "Yes, I'm okay. And I'm sure I'll be even more okay tomorrow."

"Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got a call to the president to make. You should be honored, Daniel. I put you ahead if him on my list of priorities."

"I'm flattered."

"And so you should be."

Jack left the room. As Daniel turned back to his computer, he murmured, "Thanks, Jack."

--------------------------------------------------

The president, as well as several other people, liked the idea of creating an Earth colony, especially since the existence of the cities would dramatically lower the cost of getting the colony established. It was decided that the Prometheus' first mission with their brand new hyperdrive would be to go to the planet to determine the size of the present population, how many cities there were, and make sure there wasn't another form of intelligent life on any of the other landmasses. The results of that report would decide whether or not a colony would be considered.

When the Prometheus left for the journey the following Monday, Daniel was on it. It had been decided that, if the planet proved to be suitable for a colony, negotiations with the world's present inhabitants should begin immediately. SG-9 was onboard for that purpose, but, because of Daniel's existing relationship with the people, it was agreed that he should lead the negotiations.

It didn't take long to reach the planet. From orbit, the ship scanned the surface, seeking the information that would determine whether or not the place would be suitable for a colony.

"What have you got?" Colonel Pendergast asked the officer manning the scanners.

"It looks like the human population is limited to the one continent. From what the sensors are showing, we're talking somewhere around two hundred fifty thousand, give or take. Most of the people are living in villages and small towns. The biggest city has a population of about fifteen thousand."

"What about the abandoned cities?" Daniel asked.

"There are four of them, all on the same continent. The sensors didn't detect life signs within any of them, although they all have energy readings."

"Any signs of intelligent life elsewhere?"

"Not that I can see. Of course, if there is some primitive indigenous race living inside caves, the sensors aren't going to recognize that."

Daniel couldn't help but think about the Unas and the sticky situation that arose because no one knew of their existence on the planet that was being mined for Naquadah. Hopefully, something like that wouldn't happen again.

The officer went on to give the rest of the information the sensors had gathered, including global temperatures and other planetary data that would be needed for making a decision about the colony.

A complete report was sent to the SGC. Now, all they could do was wait and see what the president and the others had to say.

Daniel went to a window and looked down at the Earth-like planet. If they got a green light and the present inhabitants agreed, this would become a second home for Earth's people. Each of the four cities was large enough to hold around a hundred and fifty thousand people. Not even counting the inhabitable land surrounding them, that would be plenty enough room for a colony to grow for many years to come.

The call back came two hours later.

"You've got a green light to begin talks with the inhabitants," Jack told them. "The president says not to go overboard with what you offer. Be generous, but not _too_ generous."

"I'll keep that in mind, Jack," Daniel responded.

The archeologist and SG-9 were beamed down just outside Kelith's village. Daniel was greeted warmly.

"Welcome, my friend," the overseer said, grasping Daniel's shoulder. "We are pleased that you have returned."

"It's nice to see you again, too, Kelith." Daniel introduced the four members of SG-9. "Kelith, we have something that we need to discuss with you and your people, not just this village, but all your people."

"Is it about the Methra?" the man asked worriedly.

"No, it has nothing to do with them. Kelith, do your people have a central government, a ruling body of some kind?"

"Each town and village has an overseer. The overseers report to the governor of that territory. The highest authority of all is the Triumvirate, who have the final say on all laws and major policies."

"Where is this Triumvirate?"

"They are in the capital city, which is a week's journey from here by foot."

"That's probably the bigger town that the sensors detected," Major Barker, the leader of SG-9, remarked.

"If we wanted to talk to the Triumvirate, what would it take?" Daniel asked Kelith.

"You must ask for an audience with them, stating your reasons. It is best if you are accompanied by a governor, an overseer or someone else of high standing."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "So, Kelith. Would you like to take a little trip with us to the capital?"

"I would gladly journey with you, Daniel, but to be gone for at least two weeks would cause difficulties. If we rode, it would take less time, but, even then, it would be a problem."

"We wouldn't have to walk or ride, Kelith. We'd be traveling by spaceship, which could get us to the city in a matter of minutes. I doubt that you'd have to be gone more than a couple of days, if that."

Kelith smiled. "I forget that you have such wonders. To travel through the sky would be a marvelous thing."

"Then you'll come?"

The man nodded. "With pleasure."

"Great. We'll leave in the morning."

That evening over dinner, for which he was the guest of honor, Daniel explained to Kelith and the others there about the colony Earth wanted to establish on the planet. He told them that Earth would negotiate a deal that would be beneficial to Kelith's people.

"If it were solely my decision, I would gladly give permission for your colony," the village overseer said. "We owe you so much for removing the threat of the Methra. When we speak to the Triumvirate, I will tell them all that you have done for us and plead that they rule in your favor."

The next morning, Kelith began his adventure of a lifetime when he was beamed up to the ship with Daniel, whose warning wasn't enough to prepare the man for the experience.

Kelith stood staring about with wide eyes for several seconds. And then he saw the view outside the main window. Transfixed, he approached it.

"That is our world?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes. Beautiful, isn't it."

"It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Kelith turned to Daniel. "How many worlds have you seen this way?"

"Quite a few, actually, though many weren't as beautiful at this. Your planet looks very much like Earth, my homeworld."

Not wanting to alarm the city's inhabitants, Daniel, Kelith and SG-9 were beamed down in an area of the city where there were presently no people. They made their way on foot to the palace. The gate was guarded by six armed men.

Kelith stepped forward. "I am Kelith, son of Marsod and overseer of the village of Brend in the territory of Cardon. These men with me are visitors from very far away who seek an audience with the Triumvirate on a matter of great importance."

The guards studied the five men from Earth, taking note of their unfamiliar clothing and weapons.

"Where are you from, and what is your business with the Triumvirate?" one of them asked.

"We come from another world," Daniel replied. Before he could say anything else, one of the other guards laughed.

"Another world? What sort of joke is this?" he chuckled.

"It is not a joke," Kelith declared. "He speaks the truth. By now, news that the Methra are gone must have reached the ears of the capital city. I sent word to the governor of Cardon, who would have immediately sent a messenger here." He laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "This man and his people were the ones who removed the Methra from our world and made it safe for us."

"Yes, we heard some tale of visitors who came through the stone ring and sent the Methra away, but many of us believed it was just some silly story with little truth in it."

Kelith frowned. "It is no story. Every word is true. I and the people of my village were part of the events that took place."

The first guard who'd spoken turned to one of his fellows. "Go get Echaben. He'll want to hear about this and decide if they can come in."

The guard trotted off. He came back a few minutes later with a short, balding man wearing what looked like some kind of robe of office. The man stared at the visitors from Earth with narrowed eyes.

"I am Echaben, chief aide to the Triumvirate. This guard has told me who you claim to be. If what you are saying is true, what do you want from us? Do you seek a reward?"

"No, we don't want a reward," Daniel quickly answered. "We are interested in the cities that were built by the people who were here before you. We want to send some of our people through to set up a colony within those cities. In exchange, there are many things that we can offer your people that will help you prosper and possibly save lives."

"They have great wonders," Kelith said. "We traveled here in a ship that flies among the stars. I saw our world from high above it."

Echaben studied the men from Earth even more closely. He then nodded sharply. "Very well. You may enter the palace. I will tell the Triumvirate all that has been said, and they will decide if they wish to speak with you."

The five SG team members and Kelith were taken to a room that appeared to be some kind of waiting area. As they waited, Daniel went over the things he'd learned. Based on what he'd seen in Kelith's village, he had believed that this was primarily a hunter-gatherer society, but what he'd learned and was seeing now had changed his mind about that.

"Kelith, do your people have some form of agriculture?" he asked. "Do you grow food and raise livestock?"

"Yes, some areas do. We do not in my village because the soil is poor for most crops, and the forest has always given us all that we need. Until the Methra came, we never went hungry." Kelith smiled. "Now that they are gone, there will again be plenty of food for all."

They'd been waiting for around an hour when Echaben returned.

"The Triumvirate will see you now."

They were taken to a large room that was mostly empty except for a dais upon which sat two men and a woman, all of them dressed in ornate robes. Both men were well into their fifties, but the woman appeared to be no older than forty. As the group walked into the room, the woman's eyes fell upon Daniel and remained there.

"I am Shewynd," said the man on the right. "We have been told who you claim to be and what you desire. We did receive word that the Methra were gone, but we questioned the accuracy of the tale. We intended to send investigators out to determine the truth of the claims. Now, you are here, the ones who supposedly saved us from the threat of the Methra."

Kelith took a step forward. "Lord Shewynd, I do not know precisely what story you were told about the Methra, but I was there when many of the events took place, and I swear on my honor that this man and his people are the ones we have to thank for the end of the Methras' hold over us." He gestured at Daniel. "This man battled alone against sixty Methra and triumphed against them. It is he who then told the Methra that they must leave or perish."

"And who is this man?" asked the woman, her eyes gazing at Daniel with interest.

"My name is Daniel Jackson," the archeologist replied, trying to ignore the way the woman was looking at him.

"Daniel Jackson. You must be an amazing man to fight against sixty Methra and come out the winner."

"Well, I did have some help. If it wasn't for my teammates, I doubt that I'd still be alive."

"And these other men are your teammates?"

"No. My team is back on my planet."

"I am Anden," said the other male member of the ruling body. "If it is you who rid us of the Methra, we owe you great thanks, but we have many questions and concerns about this colony you wish to establish here." He turned his gaze upon Kelith. "Please leave us to discuss this in private. These men will join you outside once we are finished."

Bowing his head, Kelith left the room.

Anden returned his attention to Daniel. "How many of your people would be in this colony? What demands would they make upon the resources of our land?"

SG-9's leader answered. "We're not sure how large the colony will be in the beginning, but it won't be very big. You don't have to worry about the food they'll consume. We have advanced farming methods that will likely make it possible for us to grow crops even if the soil is poor, and we can bring through our own livestock. In time, the colony will be completely self-sufficient. Until then, everything it needs can come from Earth, though we'd be happy to do some trading with your people."

"As I told Echaben, we have a great deal that we could offer your people," Daniel said. "We have medicines that cure many illnesses, technology and other things that can greatly improve your crop yield, ways to build structures that are stronger and safer. We can show you how to make metals and other materials that will vastly improve your way of life."

"Tell me, Daniel Jackson," said Shewynd. "What is your reason for wanting to create this colony?"

"There are several reasons. One is that there are billions of people living on Earth. Overpopulation is already a problem. One solution to that is to establish colonies on other worlds. At the present time, setting up large colonies wouldn't be possible, but there could come a time when we will want to do that. The colony here will be just the beginning. The main reason, however, is that we have enemies that threaten the safety of our planet. If Earth is ever attacked, having a colony on another world would give us a place of safety to send some of our people to."

Anden frowned. "And what if your enemies followed them here? Then they might choose to attack us as well."

Daniel shook his head. "We would never allow that to happen. The location of the colony would be known by just a small number of people. In fact, very few would even know it existed."

The archeologist considered telling then that their world was already under the threat of being discovered by the Goa'uld, but he figured that would not be conducive to a successful negotiation. Besides, it's not like they could do anything about it anyway. Why give them something to worry about that they were powerless to prevent?

"And why have you chosen our world?" the woman asked.

"Because of the cities that were built by the people who lived here long ago. One of the problems in creating a colony is building the homes and other structures that will be needed. Those cities will make that unnecessary. They're just sitting there, ready to be lived in."

"None may enter the cities because of the mechanical guardians," Anden said.

"I can speak a language that the robots understand. They have allowed us to go into the city."

"And what of _your_ people?" Shewynd asked. "What assurances do we have that this is not the first step in a plan of conquest?"

"If we wanted to conquer you, we wouldn't have to do it through trickery," Daniel replied. "The ship that is now in orbit over this world could wipe out this entire city. We have other weapons and vehicles that we could bring through the gate, along with a very well trained army. If we wanted to take control of this planet, we could do so pretty easily."

The members of the ruling body looked at each other. Anden was the one who spoke next.

"These weapons of which you speak. We would be quite interested in trading for such things if we agreed to your colony."

This time, it was Daniel and the members of SG-9 that exchanged looks.

"Including weapons in the trade agreement is something that only our highest authorities could agree to," Barker responded. "We don't have the authority or permission to offer things like that."

"Is there a particular reason why you're interested in weapons?" Daniel asked. "Do you have a problem with internal wars?"

"No, none of the territories are at war with each other," Shewynd replied. "There has been no war since the unification eighty years ago. But there are small rebel factions who occasionally cause some trouble, those who do not agree with the present government and wish to change things. And there is crime, of course. More powerful weapons would help us curb both of these things."

"Well, this is something we can talk about later," Daniel said, "that is if you are willing to allow the colony."

"Would a trade agreement be possible without us permitting the colony?" Anden asked.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's doubtful. All we want from your people and world are those cities and the nearby land to use for farming. If the colony is approved, we will also be interested in trading for food until the colony is fully established, but that's really it, unless we discover something else you have that we'd be interested in."

Daniel's answer may have been more blunt than that of some negotiators, but these people needed to understand that they wouldn't be getting a thing from Earth if they didn't agree to the colony. The archeologist had serious misgivings about including any kind of weaponry in the trade agreement since it could backfire catastrophically, but that decision was not up to him. He couldn't really blame them for being mostly interested in weapons, though, not when that was always the thing that most interested the people in charge of the Stargate Program whenever they were negotiating with a civilization that was more technologically advance. In fact, throughout the course of Earth's history, weapons had always been high on the list of desired trade items.

"Very well," Shewynd said. "We will discuss your request. For now, some of us have other business to attend to. You may return tomorrow at this same time, and we will give you our answer. If the answer is yes, then we can begin to negotiate terms."

After bidding them goodbye, Daniel and SG-9 left the room and headed for the building's exit. They were approaching the door when a boy of around fourteen came up to them. He handed Daniel a note. The archeologist's eyebrows rose a notch when he read it.

"What is it?" Lieutenant Keech asked.

"A request to meet with Mistress Laleetha. I'm guessing that she's the woman on the Triumvirate."

"Do you think it's wise that we meet with her alone?" Barker questioned.

"Um . . . actually, the request is just for me," Daniel clarified, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

The other men smiled and exchanged looks. They hadn't failed to notice the way the woman eyed the archeologist.

"So, are you going to accept?" SG-9's leader asked.

"I'd really rather not, but I don't think that insulting her by refusing her invitation would be a smart move."

"Okay, but watch yourself, Daniel. You may have all those fancy powers, but I bet Colonel Carter could still manage to kill you if she got mad enough."

The rest of SG-9 chuckled at the comment. Daniel, however, didn't find it the least bit amusing.

"Go on up to the ship," he said. "I'll radio you when I'm ready to leave."

Daniel followed the boy down a maze of hallways to what he realized were private quarters.

"Oh, wonderful," he muttered as he was left alone in a sitting room. He wasn't alone for long. Laleetha came in. Her robes of state were gone, revealing a wine-red dress with a tight bodice and a flowing, floor-length skirt. Her long black hair was down, whereas, before, it had been up.

"I am pleased that you accepted my request," she said with a little smile. She went to a table where a tray with bread, cheese and wine sat. "Would you like some wine or perhaps something to eat?"

"No thank you."

The woman poured herself a glass of wine and picked up a piece of cheese, which she nibbled on delicately. She studied Daniel with interest.

"You intrigue me, Daniel Jackson," she said. "From what Kelith said, you are a warrior, yet you also lead the negotiations and are a diplomat. Such things do not exist here. Our soldiers are soldiers only. Negotiations and diplomacy are handled by others."

"Well, to be honest, I didn't start out as either a warrior or a diplomat. The former grew out of necessity because of the enemy we are at war with. The latter . . . I just sort of ended up doing."

"If you are neither warrior nor diplomat by trade, then what are you?"

"An archeologist, also a linguist and anthropologist." When the woman indicated that she didn't know what those things were, Daniel explained.

"Ah, you are a scholar and historian," Laleetha said.

"Basically."

The woman smiled and came closer. "I admire men of great learning."

"Ummm. . . ."

She laid her hand on his arm. "You are also very attractive."

Daniel shifted in discomfort. "Uhhh . . . look, before this goes any farther, I need to tell you that I'm in a relationship with a woman that I am very much in love with. So, although I'm really flattered that you, um . . . like me, and I'd be happy to chat with you, that's all I'd be willing to do."

The woman walked back to the table, selecting a piece of bread. "Even if refusing me would mean that you will not get your colony?"

Daniel stiffened, his expression hardening. "If that's the bargain you're offering, then we have nothing more to discuss."

Laleetha gazed at him closely. "So, you are saying that you would rather sacrifice your hopes of a colony than spend a few pleasurable hours with me?"

"It has nothing to do with you personally, Laleetha," Daniel explained. "That's just not the kind of person I am. I won't trade my morality for that colony."

"And would your answer be the same if you did not already have a woman?"

"Yes, it would."

Laleetha turned away. "I see."

Figuring that he'd better leave, Daniel said, "Look, I'm just going to go now. I'm sorry that I can't give you what you want. I hope that you won't hold it against us and will still consider the colony. I think we could really benefit your people. For what it's worth, I do think that you are a beautiful woman. This has nothing to do with me finding you unattractive."

Leaving the woman's quarters, Daniel walked down the hall a few feet. He then got on the radio and told the Prometheus to beam him up.

"So, what happened?" Barker asked.

Daniel frowned. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Uh oh. That doesn't sound good."

"Let's just say that she wanted something from me that I wasn't willing to give."

"So, does this mean that we can say goodbye to any hope of that colony?"

"That I can't say. I really hope not."

--------------------------------------------------

As they waited to be ushered into the Great Hall to hear what the Triumvirate had to say, Daniel was not filled with eagerness over the meeting. Kelith had been taken back to his village, his presence no longer needed, and Daniel would far rather be there or on the Prometheus and let SG-9 handle things from now on. But since he'd taken point in the negotiations yesterday, he couldn't bow out now.

They hadn't been there all that long when they were brought into the hall. Daniel could not read Laleetha's expression, and he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"We spoke long into the night about your request," Shewynd said, "discussing it with our advisors, and we have come to a decision."

Daniel and SG-9 held their breath.

"The three of us have unanimous decided to allow your colony if a trade agreement to our liking can be reached."

Shocked by the answer, Daniel looked at Laleetha, who was now smiling at him.

Seeing that Daniel was temporarily at a loss for words, Major Barker stepped in. "We're delighted to hear that. We'll be happy to begin talks on the trade agreement as soon as you'd like."

"After the midday meal will be convenient for that."

Daniel was not the least bit surprised when the same teenaged boy approached them as he and SG-9 were on the way out of the building. The kid took him to Laleetha's chambers. She was in the sitting room when the archeologist was brought in.

"I did not fail to see the surprise on your face when Shewynd told you that we decided in favor of your colony," she said.

"Well, yes, I was a bit surprised. After our . . . talk yesterday, I didn't have a lot of hope that you'd vote in favor of the colony."

Laleetha smiled slightly. "Which is what I intended."

Daniel frowned in bewilderment. "Excuse me?"

"We know nothing of your people or your civilization, Daniel. We cannot trust what we do not know. The three of us decided that we wanted to see what manner of man it was who was asking this thing of us. If we were to believe the tales about the Methra, we could not doubt that you were courageous, but many courageous men are without honor."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that the thing between you and me yesterday was a test?"

Laleetha nodded.

"Okay, so what would have happened if I'd taken you up on your invitation?"

"I would have been called away on a matter of urgency," Laleetha smiled again, "although, if I am to be honest, I would not have regretted a few hours spent in pleasure with you. I did not lie when I said that you are an attractive man."

Daniel sat down, stunned by the news. He looked up at the woman, who was watching him with a mildly amused expression.

"Okay, so I passed your test, but you need to understand that there would have been men from my planet who wouldn't have said no."

"This we know. No world can possess only those who are upright and virtuous. But that does not matter. It is you who are here representing your people, so it is you whom we must have the measure of. The woman who has your heart is very fortunate to have one such as you for a love."

"I'm the fortunate one, Laleetha."

Daniel left the woman a couple of minutes later and was beamed aboard the Prometheus. All the members of SG-9 were as surprised as Daniel had been when he told them everything.

"Well, I guess we can all be glad that you're an honorable kind of guy," Barker remarked.

They contacted Jack and told him that the trade talks were a go. Daniel also told him about the interest the Triumvirate had in weapons and the reason why.

"Now, why doesn't this surprise me?" the general responded.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because we've done the same thing in the past."

"Yeah, but, in those cases, the aliens we were asking to give us weapons weren't going to be sharing their planet with us . . . and they still said no. The idea of giving those guys weapons that they could someday turn around and use against the people in our colony does not give me any warm fuzzy feelings."

"Me neither, not to mention the huge impact it could have on their society."

There was a brief silence, then Daniel said, "It's interesting being on the other side of the fence, isn't it."

"Yes, although one big difference between this case and when _we_ were doing the asking is that we already have a higher level of technology. The guys on that planet sound like they're on a pretty low rung of the technology ladder. Putting guns in their hands might be a very bad thing."

"I agree, and it would be an even worse thing if the rebels they talked about got hold of any of the weapons."

"Yep. I can talk to the president about this, but I'm pretty sure that his answer will be the same as mine. No weapons. If that turns out to be a deal breaker, so be it. It's not like we _have_ to have this colony. If you hadn't gone to that planet, a colony wouldn't even be on the agenda."

Daniel breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad that you agree."

"So, how long do you think this is going to take?"

"I have no idea. If they insist on the weapons, then it won't take long. Otherwise, it could be several days, even weeks. The last deal SG-9 brokered took a month to hash out all the details."

"Yeah, well, if it's going to take that long, SG-9 can do without you."

Daniel smiled. "Miss me?"

"Desperately. Actually, it's Carter who's missing you. I want you back here to help me deal with the idiotic plan the higher-ups have for you and that damn Al'Kesh."

"Uh oh. This doesn't sound good. What plan?"

"I'll tell you all about it when you get back. You've got three days, counting today. Then I want you back through the gate, and SG-9 can take it from there."


	42. Chapter 42

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

That afternoon, the negotiations began. The first thing Daniel did was tell the Triumvirate that the trade agreement could not include any weapons. Jack had been right about the president agreeing with him in that regard. 

"We can probably help you with developing forms of defense against the rebels you talked about, but we can't give you any weapons," he explained. 

"And this is the final word of your leaders?" Shewynd asked. 

"Yes. I'm sorry, but it's nonnegotiable. They might agree to you being shown ways to improve the weapons you already have, but that's as far as we could go." 

"I see. This is very disappointing to us." 

"There are many other things we can offer you, medicines and medical techniques that would save thousands of lives, technology that will increase your crop yield, types of crops that will grow even in the poorest of soils. We can give you a variety of different domestic animals that you can use as beasts of burden and for transportation. And that's only to name a few things. There is a lot that we can offer, if you're willing to listen." 

"Please leave us for a moment." 

Daniel and SG-9 left the hall. 

"So, you think they'll call it off?" a member of SG-9 asked Daniel. 

"I don't know. They'd be stupid to do so this soon. I know they wanted weapons, but they have to see that there are other things we can give them instead that will vastly improve their way of life. On the other hand, if weapons are the only thing they're really interested in, then, yes, I'd say we're done." 

They were called back in not quite ten minutes later. 

"Though we greatly desired that weapons be part of the trade, we are willing to continue the talks," Shewynd told them. 

Smiling, Daniel said, "I'm glad to hear it. So, shall we get started?" 

Thus began the negotiations for getting a colony on the planet that Daniel and SG-9 came to learn was called Penthana. By the end of the three days that Jack gave Daniel, they were still talking. Explaining that a matter of urgency required his attention at home, the archeologist said goodbye to the Penthanan Triumvirate and, after leaving the room, was beamed aboard the Prometheus. It took him to Kelith's village. Daniel wanted to say goodbye to the man before leaving. 

"Daniel. Again, it is good to see you," the overseer said. "Has the Triumvirate said that you may create your colony?" 

"The negotiations are still in progress. I have to get home, though. I just wanted to say goodbye before I leave." 

Kelith clasped his shoulder and forearm. "Goodbye, then, my friend. Regardless of what our rulers may decide, I know that nothing we did would be great enough to repay you for what you have done for us." 

Five minutes later, Daniel was beamed to the gate. He dialed it and went through. 

"Since I'm only seeing you standing there, I'm guessing that they're still at it," Jack said from his place at the foot of the ramp. 

"Yep. I don't think they'll be at it for much longer, though, maybe another day or two. I mean, when you think about it, from their point of view, the Penthanans are getting more out of this deal than we are. They weren't able to do anything with those cities, so it's not like we're taking away a valuable commodity. We'll need some land to plant crops and raise livestock for feeding the colony, but since the Penthanans have tended to stay well clear of those cities, it's unlikely that the lands around there would have been used anyway. So, in exchange for land and other things that they weren't using, they're getting quite a bit." 

"I agree. Okay, go get checked out by the doc and get cleaned up, then come to the briefing room." 

Daniel was approaching the elevator when Sam exited it. She smiled upon seeing him. They embraced and shared a kiss. 

"Mmm. I missed you," she said. 

"I missed you, too." 

"So, how did it go?" 

"SG-9 is still there hashing out the details, but I'm pretty sure that we have a trade agreement that the Penthanans are satisfied with." 

Sam accompanied Daniel to the infirmary, talking about the agreement on the way. She waited for him as he got his post-mission exam. 

"So, do you know anything about this mission the bigwigs want to use the Al'Kesh for?" Daniel asked as they left the infirmary. 

"No, the general hasn't discussed it with anyone. Teal'c and I are supposed to join you in the briefing room to talk about it." 

They went to their quarters so that Daniel could wash up, then the two of them headed to the briefing room, Sam deciding to sit in on the debriefing about the agreement with the Penthanan government. 

For obvious reasons, Daniel said nothing about the incident with Laleetha. He had no intention of giving Jack that kind of ammunition to use to torment him. He'd have to remember to tell SG-9 not to say anything about it either. 

"Sounds good to me," Jack said as the debriefing wrapped up. "They do understand that, though we can help beef up their defenses a bit, we're not going to get rid of their rebel problem, right?" 

"Yes, they know that." 

"If the rebels become _our_ problem, then we'll do something. Otherwise, it stays their problem." 

Daniel nodded. "Although, if things went bad, and the present government was overthrown, I think it would be in our best interest to do something about it." 

"Yes, you're probably right about that. We don't know how friendly anyone who took over would be to us, and once that colony is established, we're not going to just up and leave. You know, it would be a lot better if those cities had been on an uninhabited planet. We'll just have to hope that our neighbors remain friendly." 

At that moment, Teal'c walked in. 

"Hey, great timing, T," Jack said. "We just finished the debriefing." 

"Were you successful, Daniel Jackson?" the Jaffa asked as he took a seat. 

"I believe so. SG-9 is still there, but I'm pretty sure we'll get the colony." Daniel turned to Jack. "Okay, so what's this plan you mentioned?" 

"Well, some people have dreamed up a little mission for you and the Al'Kesh. Since it's fast and has a cloaking device, they've decided that it would be perfect for a bit of covert ops. According to our allies, whoever it was that took over from Anubis' has been doing a damn fine job of whipping the asses of the other Goa'uld, but we still don't know who that person is, and inquiring minds want to know." 

Sam shrugged. "Well, there is that old adage that the enemy you know isn't as dangerous as the one you don't know." 

"Has anyone checked Anubis' base on Tartarus to see if the person is there?" Daniel asked. 

Jack shook his head. "No. Those super-duper sensors make it impossible for anyone to get close enough to do a detailed scan of the planet. I guess even a cloaked ship would be detected." He smiled humorlessly. "And that's where you come in, Danny Boy. They figured that you could fly the Al'Kesh to a spot just outside the reach of the base's sensors and then do your little remote viewing trick, take a peek at what's going on in the base." 

"Jack, there's a good chance that I wouldn't be able to see anything. Unlike Sam and Teal'c, I haven't been inside the base, and I'd be doing it from pretty far away. I wouldn't even have anyone in particular to . . . to lock onto, unlike when I was searching for Sam on the Prometheus." 

"Well, if you'd like to explain that to them, be my guest." 

"Sir, what if the person isn't even on Tartarus?" Sam asked. 

"Then you're supposed to go wandering around the galaxy and try finding him. The bigwigs figure that you could get intel from the rebel Jaffa on where some big battle is going on between Anubis' forces and another Goa'uld. You pop in, Daniel scopes out Anubis' ships, then you pop out again, trying not to get blown up from a stray shot while you're there." 

The members of SG-1 all looked at each other. 

"Uh . . . sir," Sam began. 

"You don't have to say it, Carter. I'm with you one hundred percent. The chances of the mission actually succeeding are remote, and there are so many ways it could go wrong that it would take me all day to name them." 

"On the other hand, knowing exactly who we're dealing with would be good," Daniel said. 

Jack stared at him. "Daniel, don't you dare say that you're for this plan." 

"Well, no, at least not the second part. Going to Tartarus and seeing if I can take a look at what's going on inside the base is fine. If we keep the Al'Kesh cloaked, no ship in the area would detect us. It wouldn't hurt to try, and there wouldn't be that much risk involved. As for the second part, I'm not eager to go rushing into the middle of a battle zone. We have done things in the past that were equally as dangerous, but that was out of necessity or to deal the Goa'uld a powerful blow. This would just be a fact-finding mission. Knowing who they are wouldn't give us a greater chance of stopping the person who's taken over Anubis' forces and territories." 

Jack nodded. "Which is exactly what I was thinking. It's a lot of risk just to gain some intel that may not help us all that much." 

"Sir, does General Hammond approve the mission?" Sam questioned. 

"No, not really. He recognizes the high risk and the low possible returns, but I guess some people have been talking to the president and convinced him that we really need to know who's taken over from Anubis." 

"Well, I suppose that I could just flat out say no," Daniel said. "They couldn't send someone else on the mission. It wouldn't do any good. Then again, one generally doesn't refuse an order from the president." 

"No, one doesn't." 

"When is this mission to take place, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. 

"As soon as possible." Jack turned to Daniel. "I'd be more than happy to give Hayes a call tomorrow and have you talk to him. Maybe he'll listen to _you_." 

"Sure, we can do that." 

"Before you do that, I think we need to talk to the Tok'ra," Sam said. "They might have some new information." 

"Do you think you could get hold of them? We've not heard a thing from them since way back when Jacob was here after we kicked Anubis' ass in Antarctica." 

"All we can do is try, sir. Actually, I was already thinking that we needed to try contacting them and seeing if they had some new information on this issue regarding the Goa'uld conflict. This just gives us a bigger reason to do so." 

The attempt to contact the Tok'ra didn't result in an immediate reply, which did not surprise anyone. It could be days before they heard anything. 

That evening, Sam came to Daniel's house with an overnight bag. She had missed him quite a bit while he was gone and had every intention of getting started on making up for the time they'd been apart. 

Dinner hadn't been over for very long when the couple found themselves in bed, making passionate love. As they lay recovering afterwards, Daniel chuckled. 

"Well, it didn't take us long to get to that part, did it." 

Sam smiled. "Nope. But did you really expect it to?" 

Daniel rolled over on top of her. "Nope." He brought his mouth down to hers in a very deep, possessive kiss, his hand roaming intimately over her body. He smiled as he felt her respond. Making love with Sam and feeling her reactions to his touch never failed to thrill him. It didn't matter that they'd already made love at least a hundred times in these months that they'd been together. Every time with her was still glorious. 

Daniel lay on his side and pulled her close, nuzzling her hair. He'd been wondering if he should tell Sam about the incident with Laleetha. It had all been just a test, so it wasn't like the woman had honestly been coming onto him, but still. . . . 

"I need to tell you about something that happened on Penthana," he said. He told Sam about Laleetha, her come-on and how it had turned out to be a test of his honor. Sam's reaction was not exactly what Daniel had expected. She laughed. 

He stared at her in surprise. "That's not quite the reaction I was expecting." 

"Sorry. I was just picturing you squirming uncomfortably while that woman hit on you. I'm betting that you were wishing you were anywhere else at that moment." 

Daniel smiled. "Yes, I was, and even more so the next day when I had to face her again. I'm glad you're not mad at all." 

"Why should I be mad? First of all, it was all just a test. Second, you turned her down flat." Sam levered herself up and looked down at him. "Now, if you'd considered even for one tiny moment to take her up on her invitation, _then_ I'd be mad." 

Daniel grinned. "Ah, that whole hell hath no fury thing, eh?" 

She lightly jabbed him in the ribs. "You'd better believe it, buster." 

"_That_, Sam, is something that would never happen," Daniel declared just before pulling her down into a heated kiss. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

The reply from the Tok'ra came the following evening. None of them were available to come to Earth, so they agreed to allow SG-1 to come through to the present base. The team left early Sunday morning. Sam was delighted to see her father at the gate to greet them. 

Jacob gave her a hug. "It's great to see you, Sammie. It's been far too long." He shook Daniel's hand. "Daniel. We heard about what happened with Moloc. Between you and this person that's controlling Anubis' forces, the Goa'uld are fast becoming an endangered species, which has its good points and its bad points. Every time a Goa'uld dies, it's a victory for us, but if it leaves us with a single Goa'uld in control of everything, that would be a very bad thing, as we've said before." 

"Actually, that's why we're here, Dad," Sam said. "We wanted to find out what you know about this situation with the Goa'uld." 

"Come on. Let's go inside." 

They entered the base and went to a meeting room. They were joined by a Tok'ra named Mendis. 

"So, how much do you already know?" Jacob asked SG-1. 

"No details," Sam replied, "just that the other Goa'uld are being overwhelmed by whomever this person is that's in control of Anubis' armies." 

"Well, from the intelligence we've gathered, a whole lot has happened. Bastet and Olokun are both dead, and Morrigan has given in." 

"Lord Yu and Amaterasu have refused to surrender and are rallying their armies for what will very likely be their final stand," Mendis said. "The Jaffa armies cannot stand against the Kull warriors." 

"Which isn't a surprise," Daniel responded. 

Jacob nodded. "It's funny that you called when you did. We were actually going to contact you about something else we learned." 

"Which is?" 

"With defeat looming over their heads, some of the System Lords are looking for places they can find refuge. They're looking to planets that they abandoned a long time ago, scouting them out as possible sanctuaries, and guess what one of those planets is." 

"Which one?" Sam asked. 

"A planet that used to be in Ares' domain and where there presently resides a certain man who was a thorn in more than one backside: one Harry Maybourne." 

"Crap," Daniel cursed. 

Sam was thinking the same thing. When the Tok'ra left Maybourne on that planet two years ago, everyone had believed that they wouldn't have to deal with him ever again. So much for that belief. 

"If Harry Maybourne was captured, it would not go well for him," Teal'c stated. 

"No, it wouldn't," Jacob agreed, "which is why you really need to go get him before that happens." 

"The Tok'ra have other matters to attend to that take precedence over this," Mendis said, "so we cannot spare the time to get him. We strongly suggest that you retrieve him as soon as possible." 

Daniel sighed. "Oh, Jack isn't going to be happy about this." 

Just then, Mendis was called away on another matter. 

"So, how _is_ Jack?" Jacob asked. " I was wondering why he didn't come with you today." 

"That's right. You don't know, do you," Sam said. 

"Know what?" 

"Hammond was promoted," Daniel replied. "He's now in charge of Homeworld Security, which was set up to oversee the Stargate Program, the 302 program and the Ancient base in Antarctica." 

"So, who's running Stargate Command?" 

Daniel smiled. "Jack." 

Jacob's eyebrows lifted. "Jack is the base commander now?" 

"Yep, and he's got stars on his uniform to prove it." 

Jacob chuckled. "So, Jack's a general now. Somehow, I just can't see him sitting behind a desk." 

"Yes, well, the desk is definitely not his favorite part of the job." 

"Nor the paperwork," Sam added. 

"Well, give him my regards. I wish we could talk longer, but, like Mendis said, we're pretty busy around here." Jacob turned to the two male members of SG-1. "If you guys will excuse us, I'd like to chat with Sam in private for a moment." 

"Sure," Daniel said. "We'll meet you at the gate, Sam." He and Teal'c left. 

"So, how's it going, kiddo?" Jacob asked his daughter as they also made their way to the exit, but at a much slower pace. 

"Pretty good. We had a tough mission recently, but something really good came out of it. It looks like Earth is going to be able to set up a colony on another planet." 

Jacob's gaze went to her in surprise. "Really? That's ambitious." 

"Well, the situation on the planet will make it a lot easier to accomplish." 

"Well, that's good. A colony could be a big plus. However, when I asked how things were going, I didn't mean with Earth or the SGC. I was asking about you personally." 

"Oh. Things are going well." 

"You and Daniel?" 

Sam smiled. "We're still together, if that's what you're asking." 

Jacob returned the smile. "Yes, it is. So, is there anything . . . new in that regard that I need to know about?" 

Sam looked at her father, puzzled. Then she realized what he was hinting at. "Oh. Um . . . no, we haven't made any plans. A whole lot has happened since we last saw you." 

"Yes, that incident with Anubis alone was quite something." Jacob touched Sam's arm. "I heard about what happened to you, Sam, how Anubis killed you and Daniel brought you back to life. My debt to that man keeps getting bigger and bigger." 

"Well, that's only one of the exciting things that has been going on." Sam quickly filled her father in on many of the things that had happened since he last visited Earth. 

"Wow, you _have_ been busy, haven't you. So, you found the lost city of the Ancients, huh." 

"Yes, and inherited another bad guy to add to our woes." 

"It's good to hear that you and the Asgard have a weapon against the Replicators." 

Sam paused a second, then continued walking. "Um . . . yeah." 

Jacob looked at her. "Is there something you haven't told me?" 

Reluctantly, Sam revealed to her father the vision Daniel had about the Replicator created in her image. Jacob was alarmed by the news. 

"That's really not good," he said. 

"Tell me about it. Just the thought of a Replicator walking around with my face and memories gives me the creeps." 

"I can imagine so. I guess we can always hope that the Asgard are able to deal with her." 

Not wanting to dwell on that subject, Sam changed the topic of conversation. 

At the Stargate, Jacob gave his daughter another hug. 

"I hope it won't be nearly as long before we see you again," he said. 

"Me too. Oh, before we leave, there's something else you should know." Sam told him about the possible mission to learn the identity of the person who took over Anubis' territories. 

Jacob frowned. "That sounds awfully dangerous. We've been trying to find out who the person is ever since we found out that someone had taken over all of Anubis' territories. It's not normal for a Goa'uld to be so secretive, which alone really makes us wonder who he is." 

"Well, you're not the only ones who really want to know," Daniel said. 

"You guys be careful, and if you find out anything, let us know. I'll make sure that we keep the lines of communication open." Jacob shook the archeologist's hand. "Daniel, I expect you to continue taking good care of my daughter." 

Daniel smiled and nodded. 

Jacob lowered his voice. "And remember what I told you before about letting me know about a certain event." 

Daniel glanced at Sam, who was dialing the gate. 

"I will," he said softly. 

At the debriefing, Sam filled Jack in on what they'd learned. When she relayed to him what they were told regarding the Goa'uld seeking refuge on formerly abandoned planets, Jack's response was to say. "And this affects us . . . how?" 

Daniel was the one who replied. "One of these planets, which used to fall under the domain of the System Lord Ares, also happens to be the place where the Tok'ra dropped off one Harry Maybourne two years ago." 

Jack stared at the archeologist. "And this affects us . . . how?" he repeated. 

Daniel sighed internally and looked to Sam for support. 

"The Tok'ra have their hands full with more pressing matters," she explained. "They strongly suggest we get to Maybourne before the Goa'uld do." 

Jack still appeared unmoved. 

"If we do not retrieve him, Harry Maybourne faces certain capture," Teal'c stated. 

Jack looked at him, expression unchanged. 

Teal'c did not give up. "Torture, interrogation, perhaps even death." 

As much Jack would have dearly loved to let Maybourne fend for himself, he knew that he couldn't let the guy get captured by a Goa'uld. "All right, fine. Go get him," he said reluctantly. He got up and headed back to his office. 

"Yes, sir," Sam said. She and her teammates left to prepare for the mission. 

"You know, I had a thought," Daniel said as they walked to the elevator. "How can we be sure that Maybourne is still on that planet? He could have left through the gate at any time." 

"Well, yes, he could have, but where would he go?" Sam replied. "He's not all that familiar with what gate addresses lead to safe, secure planets. He would be taking a chance that he'd end up in the hands of a Goa'uld. The planet the Tok'ra took him to hasn't been visited by Ares in a very long time, and if this war hadn't happened, probably never would have been again since there's no Naquadah left to mine. Up till now, it was safe. Maybourne may be a jackass and a jerk, but he's not stupid enough to go wandering alone to other planets without any intel or backup, not if he didn't have to." 

An hour later, SG-1 stepped through the gate to the world that had been Harry Maybourne's home for the past two years, or at least as far as they knew. The second they emerged from the wormhole, Daniel sensed that they were not alone. He couldn't see them, but there were several people hiding in the tall weeds. 

He grabbed Sam's and Teal'c's arms. "We're not alone," he murmured. He studied the situation with his paranormal vision. "Two women and four men armed with crossbows. They're hiding in the grass." 

Sam and Teal'c immediately aimed their weapons. 

Daniel took a step forward and called out, "We are not your enemies. Please don't be alarmed. We're here as friends." 

There was a short pause, then the people Daniel had sensed rose to their feet, weapons aimed at SG-1. 

"We don't mean you any harm!" Sam said. 

"We are allies of the Tok'ra," Teal'c told the group. 

"We're just, uh, looking for a friend of ours, Harry Maybourne," Daniel said. "Maybe you've heard of him. Shifty fella, beady eyes." There was no reaction to the description. "No?" 

"You will follow us to the village and meet with King Arkhan," the woman with short, dark hair declared firmly. "He will discern your true intentions." 

Sam looked at Daniel. 

"It's okay," he told her. "We're not in any present danger, not that I can sense. Let's just go with them." 

SG-1 descended the Stargate dais and allowed themselves to be surrounded by the natives. They were not ordered to relinquish their weapons, which was a good sign. With the woman who'd spoken in the lead, they headed across the meadow. 

"Um, what's your name?" Daniel asked the woman, guessing that she was in a position of authority. 

"I fail to see what concern it is of yours," she replied. 

"Just trying to be friendly, that's all. My name is Daniel. This is Sam and Teal'c." 

The woman glared back over her shoulder at them. "I am Garan. Trouble me no further." 

No one spoke for the rest of the trip. As they entered the village a while later, everyone they passed stared at them with suspicion. 

"Not exactly the trusting type," Daniel remarked to his teammates. 

"Which leads me to wonder whether Harry Maybourne is still alive," Teal'c responded. 

"Presumably, the Tok'ra put in a good word for him," Sam said. 

Daniel glanced behind him at the people whose weapons were ready to shoot at a moment's notice. "Maybe we should get them to do the same for us." He knew that he could handle the situation if it turned ugly, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt. These people were not the enemy. 

Ever the archeologist, Daniel made note of the culture's medieval roots in the stone architecture and the heraldic banners draped on the walls of the buildings. 

The team was taken to an open hall. There was a dais with a throne at the far end, a yellow and black shield mounted on the wall above it, along with swords, spears and other weapons. There were several women surrounding the person sitting on the throne, blocking SG-1's view. 

At that moment, one of the women stepped back, and the face of the 'king' was revealed. His eyes closed in pleasure as he ate a bright red fruit was none other than Harry Maybourne. He was bedecked in a fur cloak, and around his head was a leather and metal band that was apparently supposed to be a crown. 

"Maybourne," Sam said, hardly able to believe her eyes. Her shock was shared by her teammates. 

The man's eyes opened, and he hastily swallowed the piece of fruit he was chewing. 

"This is King Arkhan," Garan corrected coldly. She turned to Maybourne. "My Lord, our hunting party encountered these," she glanced at the teammates disapprovingly, "off-worlders by the gate." 

Maybourne smiled at SG-1, apparently quite pleased. "Hey, guys. Long time no see." He started to laugh. "I shoulda known. I shoulda known you'd be the ones to come." 

"You were expecting us?" Daniel asked in a snarky tone. 

"Well, sort of." Maybourne's smile disappeared. "Where's Jack?" He peered beyond the three team members, looking for his old 'pal'. 

"General O'Neill's back at the SGC," Sam replied. 

Maybourne was clearly surprised. "No kidding." He made a face. "General O'Neill? That doesn't sound right. Still, good for Jack. Nice to hear he's doing so well for himself." 

"As, evidently, are you," Teal'c said, his disapproval clear in his bearing and tone. 

"Uh . . ." Maybourne looked down at himself, "this. Yes, well, uhhh, it's a long story." He stood quickly. "Food!" he called out to the populous, grandly tossing off the fur cloak. "Drinks for our guests!" 

Garan strode out of the hall, summoning villagers to do Maybourne's bidding. The ex-NID man led SG-1 to the large table just outside the hall. 

Sam was getting irritated. "We don't have time for this!" 

Maybourne ignored her. He fetched a small fruit from a basket. "Uh, you should try one of these. It's called, um. . . ." He looked to Garan to supply the name. 

"Ojun fruit," she said. 

"Right. It's sort of a cross between a guava and a mango." 

"Sort of a guango?" Daniel asked sarcastically. 

Maybourne's face lit up. "I like that!" He stepped onto the bench beside the table. "People! Henceforth, ojun fruit shall be called . . . guango! So shall it be!" 

The villagers all cheered and applauded as Daniel wondered what alternate reality they'd stumbled into. Maybourne jumped off the bench and turned to Sam, who also couldn't believe what was going on. 

"I get to name all kinds of stuff," he said to her. "You should see the Grateful Dead Burial Ground." 

Sam found her voice. "Maybourne, you have to get out of here. You're in danger." 

"I know. The Goa'uld are coming." Ignoring Sam's expression, he returned his attention to the newly renamed fruit. "Now, you should peel, uh, it before you eat it. I find the skin kind of tart." 

"You know about the Goa'uld?" Sam asked, surprised by Maybourne's knowledge and annoyed by his cavalier attitude. 

"Oh, yeah." The man sat at the table and began peeling the guango. 

SG-1 gathered around Maybourne, Daniel taking a seat on the edge of the table. 

"You were warned by the Tok'ra," Teal'c guessed. 

"I haven't heard from the Tok'ra since they dropped me off," Maybourne replied, clearly irritated by that fact. 

"Then how?" Sam asked. 

"I can read the future." 

Sam and Teal'c immediately looked at Daniel, who rolled his eyes. 

"Can you now," he said, not believing it for a minute. 

"Really!" Maybourne insisted. 

Sam stared at the man suspiciously, her annoyance going up another notch. "What are you trying to pull?" 

"He speaks the truth," Garan declared. "King Arkhan is a prophet. He foresaw your arrival and the hand you will play in defeating our enemy." 

"Garan's right. It's all part of the prophecy," Maybourne claimed. 

Sam put her hands on the table and leaned in close to the man. "Maybourne, what the hell is going on here?" she asked in a low voice, her expression making it clear that she was going to get an answer one way or another. 

He appeared to mull over the question and come to a decision. He got to his feet. "Let's go for a walk," he said. 

As they left the table, Garan and several others made a move to join them. Maybourne lifted his hand. "I will go alone with these people." 

Garan, clearly still not very trusting of SG-1, frowned. 

Maybourne smiled at her. "Fear not. They won't harm me. The four of us have known each other for a long time." 

Garan bowed her head. "As you wish, King Arkhan." 

Once they'd left the village behind, Sam stared at the ex-colonel. "Okay, how did you get yourself crowned king, Maybourne?" 

"Hey, that was their idea, not mine." 

"And where did you come up with that name?" 

"I'm a fan of Harrison Ford." 

Daniel immediately saw the connection. "Raiders the Lost Ark and Han Solo." 

Maybourne smiled at him. "You always were pretty quick on the uptake." He ran his eyes over Daniel's form. "So, aren't you supposed to be dead or something?" 

"Or something. I decided that ascension wasn't all it was cracked up to be." 

"Really? Isn't that just the way it is. The advertising always makes things sound better than they really are." 

"All right, Maybourne. What is all this?" 

"Patience, my dear Doctor Jackson. All will be revealed in the proper time." 

"You know, we could just toss him over Teal'c's shoulder and take him to the gate," Sam said. 

"I wouldn't advise that," Maybourne responded. "You'd never make it there without encountering some of my people." 

"Actually, that wouldn't be as much of a problem as you believe," Daniel told him, "but we'll hold off on that for a little while if you tell us how you knew about us and the Goa'uld." 

"That's what I'm taking you to see." 


	43. Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Maybourne refused to say any more as they continued walking. Sam dropped back a few yards with Daniel.

"Do you have any idea what his game is?" she asked him in a low voice.

"No, but I don't believe for one minute that he's a prophet."

"Me neither. I can't believe he actually set himself up as the king here. Did you see how those women were fawning over him? It was disgusting."

"Yeah, and Garan seems to be especially loyal, not to mention pretty protective."

They were at least a mile from the village when they came upon some ruins, among which were several square stone pillars. The pillars were inscribed with Ancient writing, which, of course, immediately piqued Daniel's interest. Maybourne explained that the natives stayed away from the place because it was near the Naquadah mines, which their ancestors had been forced to work in. For that reason, they knew very little about the ruins. The ex-colonel then directed Daniel's attention to one pillar in particular. The archeologist began to read the writing upon it.

"What is it?" Teal'c asked.

"It's a record of the planet's history, covering major events," Maybourne replied. "Only some of them haven't happened yet."

Sam stared at the man. "What are you talking about?"

"They have a complicated lunar calendar. Took me a while to figure it out, but, once I did, I realized there were references in the text to things that are gonna happen in the future."

Sam and Teal'c just stared at him. Daniel, totally involved in reading the pillar, was working his way around it, quickly scanning the text.

"Yeah, I know," Maybourne said in response to the way Sam and Teal'c were looking at him. "It sounds crazy. I didn't think much of it either at the time, but then this big meteor shower happened exactly on the date the stone predicted."

"Actually, it's not as crazy to us as you'd expect," said Sam.

"Oh? And here I thought that you'd think I was nuts. My skills may not compare with Doctor Jackson's, but, over the years, I've picked up a decent understanding of Ancient writing. As a result of my translations, I predicted a major flood would destroy the village unless I could convince the elders to move to higher ground."

"And of course you told them where these predictions came from," Sam said sarcastically, already knowing the answer.

"No. Well, not in so many words."

_'Right,'_ Sam silently said in disgust.

"Look . . . these are simple people. This stuff would mean nothing to them. I had to play the role of a prophet to . . . to convince them."

"And out of gratitude they made you king," Teal'c said in a tone of great displeasure.

Maybourne walked up to them. "Like I said, it was their idea." He and the others then turned their attention to Daniel, who had kept reading as the conversation went on.

"Well, he's partly right, anyway," the archeologist said. "It is a historical log." He read aloud one of the passages, which spoke of an earthquake. Maybourne explained that the quake happened a couple of years ago, before he arrived on the planet. He then directed Daniel to the passage that spoke of the time they were in now. It talked about the return of the "oppressors of old" – the Goa'uld – who would seek to take control of the planet again. The prophecy then went on to say that people from a distant world would come, vanquish the evil, and restore order.

Maybourne looked pleased. "You see? They come, you defeat them, happy ending! That's the prophecy!"

Sam glanced briefly at the Jaffa standing beside her, who remained expressionless. "Sorry, but we didn't come here to fight the Goa'uld," she told Maybourne. "We should get going." She and Teal'c began turning away. They were halted by Daniel's voice.

"Actually, um . . . this is interesting, and, uh . . . there's a lot here to translate," he said. He turned to look at his teammates.

Sam knew that expression and tone of voice well. Daniel wanted to stay, and she would be in for an argument if she didn't agree. And it was possible that Daniel would find some valuable information.

"All right, we'll stay for a while," she said after considering for a moment. "Let's just hope that Ares doesn't decide to show up while we're here."

As Daniel remained behind to read, Sam, Teal'c and Maybourne returned to the village.

Three hours later, Sam decided that it was time to call Daniel and tell him that they needed to go. Ironically, it was in that moment that his voice came over the radio.

"Sam?"

"Go ahead."

"Maybourne was right."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from what I've been able to decipher, it's pretty clear. The script on these walls is a historical log compiled by an Ancient who traveled through time to study the evolution of life on this world."

"Daniel, we know the Ancients experimented with time travel but we have no evidence that they actually mastered it."

"Yeah, well, we do now. You see, to the best of my knowledge, these writings are only a couple hundred years old. Which means they were carved after the Goa'uld had already left."

"But the Ancients pre-date the Goa'uld," Sam said.

"Right, so the only logical explanation is that an Ancient traveled to the future and then back to a time not too long ago, that is unless they developed the power of precognition like I did, and we've seen no evidence of that."

Sam was still skeptical. "I don't know, Daniel."

"There are references to the time travel device itself. It's described as being inside a small ship. Now, if I'm right, it may still be here. I think it's worth a look."

"All right. We're on our way." Sam exchanged a look of concern with Teal'c. "I really hope we're not making a mistake by staying."

They quickly returned to the ruins.

"So, any idea on where it is?" Sam asked Daniel, who'd been waiting for them.

"No, but it's possible that I might be able to find it if I . . . you know."

Sam nodded. "I guess it's worth a shot."

Daniel laid his hand on the pillar over the place that spoke of the ship and closed his eyes. Within seconds, images began flashing through his mind, scenes that he realized were moments of the history of this world. Amidst them came the image of a man with dark hair, whom Daniel guessed was the time traveling Ancient. And then he saw something else that made his eyes snap open.

"Uh oh."

"Uh oh what?" Sam asked.

"Sam, do you recall that vision I had of us going back in time to Ancient Egypt?"

"Yes."

"Well, now I know why I had it when I touched that puddle jumper."

He took off, heading unerringly southwest. He and his teammates entered the woods, fighting through the thick undergrowth. They finally came to a stop before a tall wall of brush. Daniel pushed the foliage aside to reveal metal.

The three of them worked to uncover a portion of the ship. Sam soon recognized the shape.

"It's a puddle jumper."

"Yep," Daniel said, "but not just any puddle jumper. It's how we got to Ancient Egypt in that vision of mine."

Sam looked at him, seeing the frown on his face. "It's how we _would_ have gotten to Ancient Egypt, Daniel. Considering what you saw happen, I doubt we'll ever take that trip."

They uncovered the ship's hatch, opened it and stepped inside, the lights coming on as they entered. They all noticed the device sitting in the middle of the floor in the passenger section of the ship. The puddle jumpers they'd seen hadn't had anything like it.

Sam began examining it. "I'm guessing that this is the time travel device. It must manifest some sort of energy field that encompasses the entire ship, allowing the traveler to literally fly through time."

Daniel reached a hand out to touch it, then thought better of it. He'd started the engines of one of these ships without even trying. The last thing they needed was for him to accidentally send them on a trip back in time.

"If this ship is like the ones on Atlantis, other than me, only someone with the Ancient gene would be able to run it," he said. He looked at Sam. "So, what's our next move?"

"Well, we know that these ships were designed to fly through Stargates, so, if we can get it up and running, we could take it back to the SGC."

"This vessel appears to be relatively undamaged," Teal'c said. "The engines may yet be functional."

"I'm going to have to make sure there isn't any damage. After all these years, the power source might be low or even depleted We need to contact General O'Neill about this first, though."

"Do you want us to go back and try to get Maybourne and those people moving?" Daniel asked.

"Um, no, let's all go to the gate first. He might want you to explain what you saw in that vision."

They made their way to the gate and dialed Earth.

"Hey. I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you," Jack said. "Having trouble with Maybourne? You have my permission to whack him over the head and carry him through."

"Um, sir, the situation here isn't at all what we expected," Sam told him. "And, now, we've discovered something."

Daniel and Sam explained everything to the general, who couldn't believe his ears.

"You have got to be kidding me. He's their king?!"

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid so," Sam confirmed. "After his first so-called prediction, the people were apparently so grateful and impressed that they made him their ruler."

"Under false pretenses! Maybourne couldn't predict the weather, let alone the future."

"Nevertheless, the people here adore him," Daniel said, "and they're not going to let us just take him. And, unless he commands them to, I doubt that they'd willingly leave the planet. They're positive that his prediction will come true. The Goa'uld will be defeated, and everything will be just fine."

"And do you have any predictions of your own, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"No, I haven't attempted to take a look yet."

"Now, about this ship you found. Do you think it'll fly?"

"Structurally, it seems to be in good shape, sir," Sam replied, "but I'm going to have to check and see if all the systems are functioning."

"So, you want to fly it right into the gate room?"

"I believe that there will be enough room for it to fit. It's a small ship. The railings on the ramp will have to be removed, of course."

Jack considered the plan for a few moments. "All right, let's go for it. And to help hurry Maybourne along, I think that I should come through. Daniel's going to be busy getting that ship to fly."

"Do you think that's a good idea, sir? Ares could show up at any moment."

"Carter, who was it that was right there with you guys on many a mission? It's not like I'm some soft desk jockey general who wouldn't know a battle if it bit him in the ass."

"Yes, sir, of course you aren't. I just meant. . . ."

"I know what you meant, Carter, and I appreciate the concern, but just because I'm the commander here now doesn't mean that I'm too important to get my hands dirty."

"Yes, sir," Sam said.

"All right, I'll be there in a couple of hours. I need to go make arrangements for someone to watch over this place. Reynolds is on a mission, which might be a good thing. I think he was getting entirely too comfortable in that chair of mine. But it does mean that I need to find someone else to run this joint while I'm gone."

"Are you going to call General Hammond?" Daniel asked.

"Hell no. He'd probably steal all my fun and tell me I can't go."

"Sir, could you send through my laptop and a few other things?"

"Give the list to Walter here, and we'll have someone collect the stuff ASAP."

Sam did so, and the sergeant assured her that he'd get the stuff to her right away.

A little over twenty minutes later, the things Sam needed came through. She headed back to the ship as Daniel and Teal'c returned to the village.

"Well, Maybourne, we found the thing that made all those 'predictions' possible," the archeologist told the man. "I'm guessing that either you didn't bother reading everything on that pillar or you hadn't gotten that far yet. The Ancient who wrote all that stuff was a time traveler who came here in a ship."

Maybourne smiled. "And you found the ship?" There was a gleam in his eyes that neither of the two members of SG-1 liked.

"Don't get any ideas," Daniel said. "You wouldn't be able to fly it. Only me, the Ancients and people who have a rare gene are able to operate certain pieces of Ancient technology, and those ships are included in that category. We've already seen others like them, except that they didn't have the ability to travel in time."

Maybourne looked at him shrewdly. "You included yourself in that statement."

"Yes, I did. Because of my ascension, I can operate Ancient technology."

"Well, that's handy."

Daniel exchanged a look with Teal'c.

"There is much that you do not know, Harry Maybourne," the Jaffa stated with a tiny smile.

The man stared at him closely, then at Daniel. "What? What is it? Come on. Tell me."

"You might just find out if Ares arrives before we get off this planet," Daniel responded. "Oh, by the way, Jack's coming."

"He's coming here?" Maybourne spun around and clapped his hand. "My people! We are about to receive an important guest. Hurry! We must greet him with music. Enreth, Brandis, Perin, gather your musical instruments, and we will travel to the gate to welcome him."

The three men hurried off to get their instruments.

"Oh, Jack is going to just _love_ this," Daniel muttered to Teal'c.

--------------------------------------------------

Jack exited the gate to the sight of Daniel, Teal'c, Harry Maybourne and a small group of inhabitants waiting for him. And then he was greeted with the sound of a piece of music being played by some musical instruments that were less than pleasing to his ears.

He descended the steps and headed toward Maybourne.

"Jack!" the man exclaimed in delight. "It's great to see ya! How long's it been?"

"Oh, since that time you got us stranded off-world and tried to kill me."

Maybourne chuckled. "That takes me back! Aha, I guess congratulations are in order. You made general."

"You made king!"

"Right. Well, it's, uh, not a contest."

Jack nearly winced at the sounds coming from the 'band'. "Do you mind? These guys are torturing that ditty."

"Right. Uh, take five, guys." The musicians stopped playing. "I, uh, taught 'em that expression."

"Ah."

Maybourne placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm, uh, hoping that you can stay for a while," he said as they began walking away from the group, "check out the sights."

The sight Jack had just been checking out was a pretty blonde who'd smiled at him quite fetchingly. Maybourne didn't fail to notice this.

"Take in the culture," he said. "I want you to feel at home here."

"Harry, you're aware of the fact that this place is gonna be overrun by a gaggle of bad guys soon."

"Yeah, well, maybe."

"Right. Carter and Daniel told me about this prophecy stuff. It's not gonna go down that way, y'know."

"Oh, come on, Jack. You've defeated System Lords before."

"No," the general stated firmly. "You've got to tell these people they've gotta start packing. We'll take as many as we can."

"I can't. I already told them you'd save the day."

Jack stopped walking, poking Maybourne's chest with his finger. "Lemme ask you a question."

Maybourne looked at the villagers, who'd been following at a distance. He held up his hand, indicating that they should wait where they were.

"Did this prophecy mention anything about casualties, how many people would die in the fighting?" Jack asked the former NID operative.

Maybourne glanced at Daniel and Teal'c, who were standing a few feet away, and at the people behind them.

"It's not really that detailed," he admitted in a lowered voice.

"Does it say anything about the king surviving at all?"

Maybourne's attitude grew uncertain. "Actually, there's . . . um, no reference to me specifically. I just assumed that. . . ."

"Yeah. Do you really wanna take that chance, Harry? Do you wanna roll those dice?"

Maybourne looked over at his subjects, the people who trusted him with their lives. His confidence had been replaced by worry.

"And here's something else for you to chew on," Jack said. His eyes met Daniel's for a brief moment, then returned to Maybourne. "I've learned a thing or two in the past year or so about prophecies, and one thing that's been demonstrated to me quite clearly is that when you act upon one, things get changed, and, quite often, the stuff in the prophecy no longer happens that way. You know that yourself since you kept the village from being flooded. So, have you considered how your actions may have affected how things go down? For all we know, things have been changed so much that everyone will die."

Maybourne frowned deeply, realizing that Jack was right. "It's not gonna be easy to convince them, Jack."

"You can do it, Harry " Jack clapped a hand on the man's shoulder. "You're the king. And remember . . . it's good to be king." He gave the shoulder a pat.

The two men joined Daniel and Teal'c.

"So, where's Carter?" Jack asked his former teammates.

"She's working on the ship," Daniel replied.

"And she didn't need you for that?"

"No, not yet. She doesn't need me until it's time for us to power it up."

"Well, I'm kind of eager to see the thing, so let's go on over there."

Maybourne smiled. "Yes, I'd like to see it as well."

The general looked at him narrowly. "Oh, I don't think so, Harry. What you are going to do is go back to the village with all those nice people and start explaining things to them."

"Oh, come on, Jack. Just a few more minutes isn't going to matter."

Jack held up his finger. "Ah! You may be the king here, but you're still going to follow my orders. And I'm not letting you anywhere near that ship. Knowing you, you'd try to steal it."

"Oh, now that hurts, Jack. I left those days behind me years ago. I'm a changed man."

"Uh huh. Sure you are. Does the old saying, 'A leopard can't change its spots,' ring a bell?"

Maybourne smiled. "All right, Jack. Have it your way." He called to the villagers and told them to accompany him back to the village.

"Teal'c, go with them," Jack said as the group headed away across the field. "I don't trust Maybourne as far as I could throw him. Actually, I don't trust him as far as I could throw _you_."

Teal'c inclined his head and joined the group.

Jack and Daniel began walking to the ship.

"So, no peeks into the future yet?" the general asked the archeologist.

"No. I haven't really had a chance. Besides, my sixth sense is already telling me that the prophecy is right about the Goa'uld returning."

"But you don't know how much time we have."

"No. It could be in two days or two hours."

"Well, I'm thinking that maybe you should take a look."

Daniel nodded and stopped walking. Jack watched the man's eyes close and his face go blank. No matter how many times Daniel did this, it still amazed him.

A few seconds had passed when the younger man's eyes blinked open.

"Well?" Jack inquired.

"I still don't know when, but they're definitely coming . . . with a mothership."

"Oh, lovely. It would have been bad enough if they just came through the gate."

Daniel looked at him. "Jack, if we're still here when they arrive, we have to decide what we're going to do."

"Daniel, I've seen you make entire Jaffa armies turn tail and run."

"Those armies didn't have a mothership backing them up from orbit."

"True."

"As long as there aren't too many, I could probably take care of the Jaffa that come down here, but if any of them managed to contact that mothership and told them what's happening, that Dan'yar was here. . . ."

"Crap," Jack cursed. "You're right. Ares wouldn't hesitate to blast this place to hell to kill you."

"Which means that I'd need to try and avoid using my abilities in a way that would reveal who I am."

"I guess all we can hope is that we get out of here before things get nasty."

When Daniel and Jack arrived at the ship, Sam was busy on some wires and cables hanging from an access panel in the ceiling. Jack's eyes were not on that but, rather, on the cylindrical device sitting in the middle of the deck.

"So, that's the thingamajig that takes this baby through time?" he asked.

"That's what we believe, sir," Sam replied.

That's when Jack recalled something. "Whoa, wait a sec. Daniel, is this the ship that starred in that little vision you had about Ancient Egypt?"

"I didn't actually see the ship in the vision, but, yes, I do think this is how we'd have made the trip."

"The trip that gets us all executed."

"That's the one."

"You know, I'm not so certain that I'm happy about this discovery now. Just don't take us on any trips back in time when you pilot this thing through the gate, all right?"

"I'll try very hard not to." Daniel watched Sam work for a moment. "So, are you ready for me to try powering it up?"

Sam nodded. "I found some problems with the power going to the engines, but I think I might have it licked."

The archeologist went to the cockpit and sat in the pilot's seat.

"Remember what I said, Daniel," Jack said. "Don't go sending us back to the Alamo or something."

"That wouldn't happen, sir," Sam responded from where she stood beneath the access panel. "For one thing, that was on Earth. But, more importantly, I've separated the time device from the control circuits . . . I think."

Jack looked at her over his shoulder. "You think?"

"Well, sir, it's not technology I'm familiar with. I had to make a lot of guesses." Sam turned to Daniel. "Just focus on starting the engines."

The archeologist nodded and turned his entire attention to powering up the ship. A moment later, the controls began lighting up, the engine humming quietly. Smiling, Sam came into the cockpit.

Jack grinned and patted Daniel's shoulder. "Sweet! And we're still in the here and now."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth when all the lights in the control consoles flickered and then went dead, along with the engines.

Jack glanced about. "Uh . . . Daniel?"

The linguist tried to restart the engines, but without success. "There's no power," he said.

Sam returned to where she'd been working. The two men exchanged a glance, figuring that they might be waiting for a while.

--------------------------------------------------

Teal'c looked about at the villagers as they prepared for the upcoming battle. Seeing their primitive weapons, he knew that they would not stand a chance against the Jaffa who would come. Frowning, he went in search of Maybourne and found him at the table outside the hall, which was covered in boxes and baskets full of weapons and various items that appeared to be personal possessions.

Maybourne pulled an object out of one of the boxes, his eyes passing over the things on the table. "I sure collected a lot of stuff in only a couple of years. Guess I'm a bit of a packrat."

"When do you intend to address your people?" Teal'c asked.

"I'm getting to that. It's just . . . well, I'm thinking about what I'm gonna say."

"Perhaps you should consider telling the truth."

"That's one strategy."

"Whatever you decide, we are running out of time. We must leave soon."

"Yeah, I know." He met Teal'c's eyes. "I know." Turning, he strode away toward the hall, passing two men who were picking up the throne.

"No, no! Just leave that." He said, not stopping. He pointed at some other things. "That stuff over there!" The two men head over to get what he'd told them to.

From behind a column, Garan watched. She had heard the conversation, and it had filled her with anger. The off-worlders were planning on taking their king away. This could not be allowed.

She strode away through the village, intent upon stopping the off-worlders.

--------------------------------------------------

Sam studied the time device, making another connection.

"The primary power source is depleted," she explained to Daniel and Jack. "We need to reroute the controls to the secondary output which was originally designed to power the time device."

"Of course . . . we do," Jack responded.

A moment later, the astrophysicist said, "Okay, try it now, Daniel."

Hands resting on the control console, Daniel again reached his mind out to the ship's engines, commanding them to turn on. They obeyed his silent command, albeit a little sluggishly. But, moments later, sparks began flying from the open panel over Sam's head. She flinched away. Yet again, the cockpit went dark.

"Dammit," Sam cursed.

Jack looked down at the blank console. "Hey, here's an idea. How about if we have them send the Energizer Bunny through the gate?" Sam was in no mood to appreciate the humor.

An hour later, the lieutenant colonel made a sound of frustration low in her throat. All her efforts to get the ship's systems back online had failed. She now really wished that she'd learned something about these ships when she was on Atlantis. So much of her time had been spent working on the power generator that she hadn't had time to familiarize herself with other Ancient technology.

Jack looked at his watch and stood. "Okay, that's it. It's obvious that we're not going to get this thing up and running in time. We need to get rid of it."

Surprised and dismayed by Jack's statement, Daniel and Sam followed the man outside and around to the front of the ship.

"I'm just not familiar enough with Ancient technology, particularly these ships," Sam said, not willing to give up yet. "I need a little time."

"That is one thing I can't give you, Carter," Jack told her as he squatted and began opening his pack.

Though Daniel had mixed emotions about the ship, he recognized that to destroy it would deprive them of technology that could really help them.

"You can't be serious," he said to Jack.

Sam knelt beside the general as he pulled out the plastic case of C-4. "Sir, this technology is too valuable to lose."

"Carter, what do you want me to do? Call in reinforcements? It's not like we're throwing down with a couple of Jaffa. We're taking on a System Lord and his band of merry bad guys." He handed a brick of explosives to a very unhappy Sam. "Inside and out." When he tried to do the same with Daniel, he saw that the archeologist was looking off into the woods.

"We've got company," Daniel said.

Jack and Sam instantly got to their feet, weapons aimed at something they could not see. Before Jack could ask who it was, Garan and several armed villagers appeared, crossbows cocked and ready.

"Surrender your weapons or die where you stand!" Garan commanded.

"Oh, if I had a nickel," Jack responded, thinking of all the times someone had told him that.

"Lower your weapons."

"I . . ." Jack pulled away the foliage hanging beside his face, his aim never wavering, "don't think so."

"We will not allow you to take King Arkhan from us."

"Good King Arkhan is a fraud."

"Our king is wise," declared one of the huntsmen. "He is a seer."

"He may be your king, but he's no seer."

Daniel decided it was time to step in. "He can only interpret what's been written on the pillars of the temple ruins not far from here. Now, those writings hold the prophecies, and anyone who can read them can make the same predictions."

His claim angered Garan, who refused to believe it. "That is a lie."

Daniel let out a sigh. "Why don't we just go back to the village and let King Arkhan explain everything?" Though he knew that he could easily disarm the villagers, he was hoping that this situation could be defused in another way.

The archeologist could see that Garan was considering his suggestion. She was silent for a moment.

"First, lower your weapons," she then ordered.

Daniel looked at his teammates and saw that they were not complying.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"They're not gonna shoot," Daniel's eyes met Garan's, "are you." He was certain that he was reading the situation right, but he also knew that the villagers needed to be the ones to make the first move.

Garan exchanged a long look with the huntsman who'd spoke in defense of his king. She then reluctantly began lowering her weapon, the other hunters doing likewise. Seeing this, Jack and Sam lowered their weapons as well.

Jack smiled. "God, I miss goin' offworld!" He sighed in satisfaction. "Oh, yeah."

They all returned to the village. Once they were there, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were allowed to go where they pleased, though they suspected that someone was likely keeping an eye on them. Garan hurried off, probably to go speak with Maybourne.

The three from Earth went in search of Teal'c. They found him glaring at a couple of villagers, who, though not aiming their weapons at him, were obviously there to keep him from going anywhere.

"Hey, fellas," Jack said to the men. "Why don't you run off and go find something to do."

"Garan told us to watch this one and see that he does not attempt to take King Arkhan," one of them responded.

"Uh huh. Well, the situation has changed. Go ask Garan about it. The four of us are just going to go off and have a little chat." Jack gestured at them. "Go on. Skedaddle. We're not gonna try kidnapping your beloved king. If he really has his heart set on staying, that's just fine with me."

The two men exchanged a look, then left. SG-1 and Jack walked over to a place where they could talk in private.

"So, what now?" Daniel asked.

"I still think that, with a little more time, I can get that ship up and running," Sam replied.

Jack looked at her. "And if you can't and Ares gets his hands on it?"

Daniel shook his head. "That won't happen, Jack. I'll blow it up myself, if it comes to that." He scanned the skies. "We're running out of time."

The others looked at him sharply.

"You've seen something?" Sam asked.

"Not really. It's just a strong feeling I have."

"Then there is no doubt that what you say is true," Teal'c stated, knowing that Daniel's feelings were always right.

Daniel wasn't paying attention. He was gazing off distantly, his eyes unfocused. The others recognized that look.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired quietly.

He blinked a couple of times, then turned to them, his expression intense. "We're not going to make it."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, not liking the sound of that.

"Ares' Jaffa are going to get here before we get off this planet, unless we leave right now."

Jack nodded sharply. "Then we leave right now. We'll take care of the ship on the way. We tried our best to help Maybourne and these people. There's nothing more we can do. I'm not going to put all our lives at risk by staying. If Ares discovers our presence, we'll have no choice but to fight, and you and I already talked about what that might lead to."

Sam looked at Daniel. "What's he talking about?"

"Ares is coming in a mothership," he told her.

Jack glanced about to make sure that no one was within hearing distance. "And if he finds out that the great Dan'yar is on this planet. . . ."

"He will not hesitate to decimate this world," Teal'c finished.

Daniel shook his head. "Jack, we can't leave."

The general glared at him. "Give me one good reason why not."

"I can give you several hundred good reasons: all the people in this village. If we leave, a lot of them will die."

"Then what, Daniel?" Jack asked angrily. "What are we supposed to do?"

Daniel's eyes went back to the sky. "We've got to destroy that mothership."

* * *

Sorry for taking so long to get this next chapter up. You'll be happy to know that the next chapter is already over half written, so it won't be nearly as long before it's posted. 


	44. Chapter 44

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Jack and Daniel's teammates stared at the archeologist with various expressions of surprise.

"And how do you propose we do that, Daniel?" Jack questioned. "Did your whammy suddenly get strong enough to blow up motherships?"

"I'm afraid not, Jack. I was actually thinking about the puddle jumper, if we can get it working. If it's like the ones on Atlantis, it'll be armed with drones, like what I used to destroy Anubis' fleet."

"Daniel, after all these years, those drones may no longer work," Sam pointed out.

"Those drones in the Antarctic base sat for thousands of years, and they still worked. These haven't been here for more than a couple hundred years."

Sam had to admit that he had a point. "Okay, but you're just assuming that the ship is armed."

"I have a strong feeling that it is. If we go back to the ship, I can probably confirm it. If we can destroy that mothership, whatever Jaffa are on the planet can be taken care of without worrying that we're going to be attacked from orbit or by Al'Kesh and death gliders."

Jack gazed at the archeologist closely. "Daniel, are you sure about this? We're taking a big chance here, so if you're not sure, then I say we blow up the puddle jumper and get out of here."

"Sure about what, Jack? That, if we leave, a lot of the people here will die, and the ones that remain will be enslaved for the rest of their lives? Yes, I'm sure. If you're asking if I'm sure we'll win this fight, then, no. But since when have we only gone into the battles that we were certain we could win?"

The general walked away a few paces, knowing that the decision was in his hands. Daniel might defy him if he said no, but Sam wouldn't, and Daniel would need her to fix the ship.

Jack turned around. "All right, Daniel. We'll all go to the ship, and Carter can try one more time to get it running. If she can't, then we'll destroy it and hide out in the woods till we can make it through the gate. That's the best I can offer."

Daniel nodded in acquiescence, knowing that it was the best he could hope for. Without the puddle jumper, they'd have no hope of putting a stop to what was happening on this planet.

Jack shifted the position of his P-90. "Come on. Let's go find Maybourne."

SG-1 and the general went in search of the man. When they found him, it was to witness an astonishing sight. At that moment, Harry Maybourne, former ruthless member of the NID, was kneeing before two young children, a boy and a girl, and talking to them. The girl handed him a bouquet of wildflowers, then hurried away with her companion, "King Arkhan" watching them leave with a big smile on his face.

"Who'd'a thunk?" Jack said, walking up to the man, the others behind him.

Startled, Maybourne turned, rising to his feet.

"Oh. Hey, Jack. I, uh, spoke with Garan. I was sorry to hear about what happened at the ship. Believe me, I had nothing to do with it."

"I know, Harry. You're always the victim in these things," Jack responded sarcastically.

Maybourne walked toward a place that was less crowded, Jack and SG-1 going with him.

"Okay, look," the ex-colonel said in a low voice so as not to be overheard by any of the villagers. "I'll admit that when I first found the ruins, I did plan to use them to my personal advantage, but all that changed once I became King Arkhan the First."

Jack didn't believe a word he was saying. "Oh, please."

"It's true, Jack. I care about these people. I want to help them."

"Well, it's a shame that you didn't help them sooner, Harry. Now, it's too late. We're not going to be able to get these people to safety."

Maybourne frowned. He glanced at the others. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we're out of time. Ares' Jaffa will be here at any moment, and Ares himself is coming in a mothership."

"How could you know that?"

"Well, ya see, unlike you, Daniel here really can see the future."

Maybourne stared at the archeologist and laughed. "You don't expect me to believe that."

"What O'Neill says is quite true," Teal'c stated. "Daniel Jackson is the seer that you have claimed to be."

Daniel made a face. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a seer."

Maybourne's features filled with amazement. "You're serious."

"Dead serious," Jack confirmed.

Maybourne's eyes lit with intense interest as he gazed at Daniel. "Wow. Is it because of your ascension?"

It was Jack who replied. "We don't have time to discuss it, Harry. According to what Daniel saw, those Jaffa are gonna be arriving really soon. We're going to try to do something about the mothership, take it out of the picture, but if we can't, then you're going to be on your own."

"But the prophecy—"

"Forget the damn prophecy, Harry!" Jack shouted. "The second you read that thing and made the decisions you did based upon it, you changed the way things would play out."

"We've managed to change the course of a lot of events because Daniel foresaw it happening," Sam said.

Garan and two men came running up. They glared at Jack, and the general figured that they'd heard him yelling.

"Are you in need of help, King Arkhan?" the woman asked Maybourne.

"No. No, I'm fine, Garan."

"Why don't you tell them the truth, Harry," Jack said. "Right here, right now."

"Actually, I've arranged for an assembly with the village elders. I . . ." Maybourne looked at Garan and the two men with her, "I was gonna tell them we have to leave."

Shocked, the three villagers stared back at him.

"But what of the prophecy?" Garan asked, confused. "You told us that the enemy would be defeated." Her expression darkened, and she gave the people from Earth a heated glare. "Is it because of them? Are they forcing you to tell us to leave?" She raised her crossbow and aimed it at SG-1 and Jack, her two companions doing likewise.

What happened next stunned all three of them, not to mention Maybourne. The strings on the crossbows suddenly snapped, then the bows themselves shattered into pieces.

Daniel stepped forward, his expression firm. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but we don't have time for all this. Ares' Jaffa will be here really soon, and that ship will arrive soon afterwards."

Maybourne's mouth dropped open. "You did that?"

Jack was wearing a smug expression. "You'd better believe he did, and he can do a hell of a lot more. So, you just might want to consider paying close attention to a man who can psychically lift Stargates and blow up an Al'Kesh."

Maybourne stared at Daniel, now seeing something in the man's eyes that he hadn't before. There was a look of strength there. This was not the same man that he had known all those years ago.

"King Arkhan, what is this?" one of the men with Garan asked. "What is he talking about? What power destroyed our weapons?"

Maybourne was suddenly smiling broadly, his eyes still on Daniel. "It's you! You're how we're going to win!" He laughed. "I'd never have guessed this in a million years." He clasped Daniel's shoulder.

At the touch, the archeologist's mind was bombarded with images, making him jerk backwards with a gasp.

"What did you see?" Sam asked him, recognizing what just happened.

Daniel's eyes were on the man who'd just touched him. "I saw Maybourne die."

The ex-colonel instantly lost his smile.

Daniel continued. "I only saw flashes of the whole thing, but, from what I saw, Ares' Jaffa come into the village. One of the villagers, a woman, must do or say something that angers them. They're about to shoot her when she tells them about the prophecy that she believes came from Maybourne."

"Crap," Jack cursed. "I think I can guess what happens next."

"Yeah. As soon as she tells them it was Maybourne who made the prophecy, they kill him."

Jack rounded upon Harry. "Ya see?! This is what you get for deceiving these people. You should have told them the truth from the beginning."

"What is he saying?" Garan asked in confusion.

Maybourne turned to her, a sad look in his eyes. "It wasn't me, Garan. I didn't make those prophecies. They're all written on the walls of the old temple. Anyone who could read the writing would know the same things I do." He glanced at Daniel. "There's only one prophet here, and it isn't me."

Garan stared at the man whom she had faithfully served, that faith now deeply shaken.

"I am a pretender, Garan," Maybourne told her. "I took advantage of all of you, and . . . and for that I am deeply sorry."

"But what about the design for the new watermill? Was this written on the temple walls as well?"

"Uh, no, that was from me."

"And our new medicines? Our legal code? The irrigation system? Were these things also found in the ruins?"

"No."

Garan began to smile, her faith restored. "Those were not the acts of a pretender, but of a leader!" The other two villagers nodded and raised their voices in agreement.

Maybourne wasn't the only one surprised by what was happening. Jack couldn't believe his ears.

"What does it matter where the prophecies came from?" Garan said. "All we need know is that each one of them has been fulfilled, as this latest will be fulfilled."

"Whoa, now hold on there," Jack quickly said. "Your good King Arkhan may not really be able to see the future, but Daniel can. Daniel, why don't you tell them what you saw in that vision you had earlier, what we're all going to be up against."

All eyes turned to Daniel.

"I saw a force of Jaffa come through the Stargate," he said. "I don't know how long it is after that that the mothership arrives, but I _do_ know that Ares is on it."

"What is a mothership?" one of the village men asked.

"A really, really big spaceship with lots and lots of weapons that can blow this place to hell without even coming down here," Jack replied. "If it opens fire, everyone in this village will die."

Daniel was frowning in thought. "Jack, Garan may be right."

All eye went back to him.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Okay, even if Maybourne had never read that prophecy, that mothership would still have come here, and those Jaffa would still have come through the gate."

Teal'c realized what he was saying. "Therefore, in the future that the author of the prophecy witnessed, we were victorious in defeating those forces."

"Right. So, how did we do it that time?"

"Daniel, I don't care how we did it . . . or _would_ have done it _that_ time," Jack told him. "I care about how we're going to do it _this_ time."

"It had to be the puddle jumper, Jack. That's the only way we could have taken care of that mothership."

Sam nodded. "Which means that it must be repairable."

Jack sighed. "Well, if we can ever get out of here, then we'll try to go do that."

Daniel's head shook. "I can't leave, Jack. I didn't tell you the rest of what I saw when Maybourne touched me. After he was killed, the villagers attacked the Jaffa out of anger, and a lot of them died before they finally overwhelmed the Jaffa with sheer numbers."

Garan stared at him narrowly. "This is the truth you speak? You can truly see the future?"

Daniel met her gaze. "It's the truth, Garan. I've predicted the future more times than I could tell you. There's no time for me to explain how it is that I can do it." He turned back to Jack and his teammates. "I have to stay here and protect these people, prevent what I saw from happening."

"But, Daniel, we need you to fly the ship," Sam objected.

"No, you don't." Daniel's eyes went to the man standing beside her. "Jack can fly it."

The general blinked. "Me? Daniel, I don't have that kind of experience with working Ancient technology. You're the one who's the expert."

"Jack, you have the gene, and you're a pilot with a whole lot more flying experience than me. All you have to do is focus your mind on what you want the ship to do. It's the only option. If _you_ stay here and _I_ fly the ship, how will you stop the Jaffa in the village if things turn ugly?"

Jack knew that Daniel was right. If anyone was going to stay, it would have to be Daniel. He was the only one who could prevent the bloodbath.

"Could we not stop the Jaffa from reaching the village?" Teal'c asked Daniel. "If you and I were to go to the Stargate, we could deal with Ares' forces as they arrive."

"The problem is that, if just one of the Jaffa escaped and had a way to contact the mothership, we'd all be in very big trouble. Like I said, I don't know how much time is going to pass between the arrival of the ground forces and the arrival of that ship. For all I know, it might be no more than a few minutes. And even if I _did_ manage to take care of all the Jaffa that came through the gate before any of them sent a warning, what would happen if the mothership tried to contact them and failed? If I was Ares, I'd send down more troops and a few Al'Kesh and gliders as backup."

Maybourne spoke up. "Okay, I gotta know. Was Jack telling the truth when he said you could lift Stargates and blow up an Al'Kesh or was he just pulling my leg?"

"Daniel Jackson has accomplished both of those things," Teal'c confirmed, "as well as many other great feats."

"Really? Damn. I leave the picture, and things get so much more interesting and exciting."

"Oh, yeah. A never-ending thrill ride," Jack responded caustically. He looked at his former teammates. "This isn't getting us to that ship. Carter, it looks like it's just gonna be the two of us. I really hope Daniel's right and you can get that thing fixed. And Daniel? Try to keep your head down as much as possible, okay? You know what will happen if they find out who you are before we take care of that mothership. And if you have no choice but to do something . . ." he met Daniel's eyes meaningfully, "we can't afford to take prisoners this time."

As much as Daniel hated it, he knew that the man was right. "I know, Jack."

The general laid a hand on the archeologist's arm for a brief moment. "Good luck."

"You too, Jack. Good luck, Sam."

"Be careful, Daniel," Sam said, wanting to hug him but figuring that it wouldn't be a good idea, what with Maybourne being there.

Once Jack and Sam were gone, Maybourne turned back to Daniel, studying him thoughtfully.

"So, what did Jack mean by that comment about what would happen if your identity was revealed?"

"Daniel Jackson has become a very powerful enemy of the Goa'uld," Teal'c replied. "They would do all they could to kill him if they discovered his identity."

"You see, they don't know it's me that can do all this stuff," Daniel explained. "I sort of ended up with an . . . alias."

Maybourne grinned. "Oh, don't tell me. You have a secret identity? Clark Kent and Superman. Well, you have to admit that it does fit, except that you're a mild-mannered archeologist instead of a mild-mannered reporter. You've even got the glasses to go with the part."

"I do not believe that many would call Daniel Jackson mild-mannered," Teal'c stated.

"Not anymore," Daniel muttered under his breath.

"King Arkhan, what do you wish us to do?" the villager standing beside Garan asked.

"We need to put sentries in place to watch out for the Jaffa. Garan, I want you to be in charge of that."

"And don't tell anyone the truth about the prophecy," Daniel said. "If the Jaffa find out about what's written in those ruins, they'll go to investigate, and that might lead to them finding the ship, which is the only thing that's going to get us all out of this alive. Oh, and don't tell them about me. That would be very bad."

"Do as he says," Maybourne told the three villagers. "Tell no one what you have learned here. After the danger is past, I will address the people and reveal the truth about the prophecy."

Garan and the two men went off to see about placing sentries. Daniel, Teal'c and Maybourne went back out into the midst of the villagers. The archeologist scanned the crowd, looking for one face in particular.

Teal'c noticed what he was doing. "Whom do you seek?"

At that moment, Daniel stopped. "Her."

The other two men followed his pointing finger.

"That's Cynea, one of my attendants," Maybourne said.

"Well, she's the one who told the Jaffa about the prophecy. I think it would be best if she's not anywhere around you when Ares' men show up."

Maybourne nodded. "You're right. I'll assign her some task that will take quite a while for her to do." He went over to the woman and talked with her for a few minutes. She then walked off. The ex-colonel returned to Daniel and Teal'c. "Okay, that should keep her well away from me for the next few hours."

The three resumed walking, Maybourne occasionally glancing at Daniel.

"So," he finally said. "What's it like to have that kind of power?"

"That all depends. Sometimes, it's good, sometimes, not so good. It's dramatically changed my life, and it comes with a very heavy weight of responsibility, one that's been almost too heavy on occasion."

"Really? If I had that kind of power, I'd be delighted. Just think of all the things I could do with it."

Daniel almost shuddered. "I'd really rather not."

Teal'c frowned at Maybourne. "The universe would not benefit from one such as you having the kind of power Daniel Jackson possesses. He is a man of honor and integrity, whereas you are not."

"Hey. No need to get nasty," Maybourne responded. "I guess I can't blame you for feeling that way, though. But I really am a changed man. Though I hate to admit it, the Tok'ra leaving me here was the best thing that ever happened to me . . . although there are times when I really miss watching football. I tried to teach the villagers how to play, but after the fifth broken bone, I gave up. Besides, you can't really throw a football that's stuffed with straw very far. I settled for teaching them baseball instead. Too bad you're not going to be here during the playoffs. We've got four pretty decent teams."

"I hope everyone here lives long enough to have those playoffs," Daniel responded.

Knowing that they would have to conceal their identities once the Jaffa got there, Daniel and Teal'c found cloaks to wear when the time came. They then wandered around the village, wondering if some of the people they passed wouldn't survive to see another sunrise. Daniel's mind was partly focused on the Stargate, keeping watch for the arrival of the Jaffa.

They were nearing the great hall when Daniel stopped dead in his tracts, eyes focused on nothing. "They're here," he said a moment later. "The Jaffa just came through the gate. I think one of them is Ares' First Prime."

Teal'c's expression hardened. "Trelak. He will show these people no mercy."

Daniel got on the radio. "Jack, come in."

"O'Neill here. What's up, Daniel?"

"Ares' Jaffa just arrived, fourteen of them. How's Sam coming along?"

Sam's voice came over the radio. "I'm making progress, but I'm not there yet."

"I hope it's not going to take you much longer. Things are going to start heating up here."

"I'll hurry as fast as I can, Daniel."

Jack got back on the radio. "Keep us informed, Daniel. The moment that mothership arrives, let us know."

"Will do."

Daniel and Teal'c went in search of Maybourne, whom they found sitting on his throne.

"The Jaffa just arrived," Daniel told him.

"How many?"

"Fourteen in this batch."

"That's all? And here I was expecting several dozen."

"This is merely the advance guard," Teal'c responded. "They are here only to determine the situation. Once the mothership arrives, it is likely that many more will be sent down, especially if Trelak determines that the populous is not going to bow easily to Ares' rule."

"Okay, so what do we do?"

"We play it cool," Daniel replied. "Just go along with anything they tell you to do. Don't give any hint how you really feel. Defiance will get you or someone else killed."

"Ah. Kiss ass, you mean." Maybourne nodded. "I can do that."

Daniel and Teal'c put on their cloaks, covering their heads with the hoods. It was especially important that Teal'c's gold emblem remain hidden.

The minutes passed, Daniel keeping track of the approach of the Jaffa. Ten of the fourteen were on their way, the remaining four guarding the gate.

The Jaffa were pretty close to the village when Garan came running up to Maybourne.

"King Arkhan, the oppressors have been sighted. They will be here soon."

He nodded. "Yes, I know, Garan. Go hide someplace with a vantage point. We may need your skill with a crossbow before this day is out, but if the Jaffa find you with a weapon, they might harm you."

Garan bowed her head to him and ran off.

Maybourne straightened his cloak. "Well, I guess it's time to put on my happy face."

Maybourne's "happy face" got a real workout a few minutes later. He didn't do a bad job of pretending that he was welcoming Ares with open arms, although his act slipped a bit a couple of times. Unfortunately, the villagers weren't going along with the act, and the looks they shot the Jaffa were pretty mutinous.

Trelak was an attractive, black-skinned man, but his attractive countenance did nothing to hide the evil inside. He made it clear that any resistence would be severely punished. Maybourne did his best to assure the First Prime that there would be no trouble.

Daniel and Teal'c remained in the background, taking care not to draw attention to themselves while keeping a close eye on Trelak and Maybourne.

Maybourne had a big meal prepared for Trelak and the other Jaffa. The First Prime showed his appreciation by nearly crushing the man's hand. He had not failed to notice the way the villagers were glaring at the Jaffa and had no patience for such displays of defiance. Maybourne was quick to assure the man again that there wouldn't be any trouble, that, with his help, the villagers could be bent to Trelak's will.

Daniel's level of tension was quickly rising. His sixth sense was screaming at him that something was going to go wrong, but he didn't know in what way. He decided to check in on Sam.

_'Sam? How's it going?'_ he asked telepathically, not wanting to take the chance of a Jaffa catching him using his radio.

_'Still working on it,'_ she replied silently. _'How are things over there?' _

_'A powder keg waiting for someone to light the fuse. Something is going to happen. I don't know what, but I'm sure of it.' _

Daniel's words deeply concerned Sam. _'Daniel, if you have no choice but to use your abilities before I get this ship running, you need to make a run for the gate afterwards and get out of there before Ares arrives, finds out what happened, and attacks.' _

_'And what about you and Jack?' _

_'We'll make a run for it, too.' _

_'Just hurry, Sam. We don't have much more time.' _

It was just a few minutes later that what Daniel's senses had been warning him about happened. A Jaffa brought a terrified young woman to Trelak, fairly throwing her at the First Prime's feet.

"This female spilled food on me," the Jaffa declared as he brushed bits of fruit from his armor.

"It was an accident!" the woman cried. "I tripped! Please. It was an accident."

Trelak pulled her up off the ground with a bruising grip on her arm. He smiled at her nastily.

"I do not believe you."

The woman was fairly dragged to the dais that contained the throne.

"Hear me, slaves!" Trelak called out, causing everyone within hearing distance to stop and look at him. "This woman has insulted one of your god's faithful Jaffa, and for that she will be put to death. She will serve as an example to all of you that you must bow down to Ares or die."

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a look. They could not let that woman be killed.

Just then, a man pushed his way through the crowd. Daniel recognized him as one of the two men who were with Garan when Maybourne revealed the truth about the prophecy.

"Please," he begged. "She is my wife. She meant no harm. If you must kill someone, please kill me instead."

Trelak smiled. "Perhaps we will kill you as well for your failure to teach your woman proper respect for a man. But, first, you will witness the execution of this one." He nodded at one of the other Jaffa, who raised his staff weapon and aimed it at the woman.

"No!" cried her husband. "What if I could give you information that would be valuable to you? Would you then spare my wife?"

Daniel's body went tense. This man knew about the source of the prophecy. If he told the Jaffa, they'd go to the temple. Once they saw what was written on that pillar, they'd start searching the area and find the puddle jumper.

Trelak stared at the man through narrowed eyes. "What kind of information?"

"There is one here who is a great enemy of yours. I could tell you who he is."

Daniel cursed silently. This was even worse than telling them about the temple. That guy was just about to reveal Daniel's identity.

Trelak studied the man for several seconds. "Tell me who this one is, and your wife may live."

The man opened his mouth to speak, but before a word could come out, he suddenly toppled over and lay still.

"Fen!" his wife cried, scrambling to his side. One of the Jaffa joined her and examined the man.

"He lives, but he is unconscious," the Jaffa reported. "I see no wound on his body."

Maybourne was staring at Fen, wondering what the heck had just happened.

"Maybe he had a stroke or something," he said. "Stress can do that, you know."

Unlike Maybourne, Teal'c knew what had just happened. Daniel had acted to protect his identity by rendering the villager unconscious. The former First Prime of Apophis approved of his teammate's actions, but he also knew that this would not be the end of the matter. Only seconds later, he was proven right.

Trelak had been glaring at Fen's unconscious form. He now turned his gaze upon everyone else.

"Who is the enemy he was going to reveal?"

There was complete silence from the crowd.

"Tell me or my men will begin killing you one by one until someone speaks."

It was in that moment that Daniel sensed the arrival of Ares' mothership. With the arrival of that ship, the situation went from really bad to a whole lot worse.

"There is no enemy," Maybourne said, unaware of the change in the situation. "Fen was just trying to protect Alein. You can't blame him, can you?"

"Jaffa!" Trelak barked, gesturing to his men. They raised their weapons and aimed them at several villagers.

"Stop!" Daniel called out. He stepped forward and pulled back his hood. "Fen was talking about me."

Trelak studied him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Daniel Jackson of SG-1."

Teal'c stepped up beside Daniel, baring his head. "And I am Teal'c."


	45. Chapter 45

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Jack looked at his watch for the dozenth time. He then looked at Carter . . . for the two dozenth time. This was taking entirely too long. He hated waiting. He hated waiting even more when the planet he was on what crawling with Jaffa, a mothership was bearing down on that planet, and two of his men were without backup in a very dangerous situation.

_'Jack!'_ cried a voice in his mind, nearly making him levitate off the chair.

"Eeahh!" he exclaimed. After getting over the initial fright, he realized that the mental voice had sounded familiar. "Daniel? Is that you?" he asked aloud.

_'Who else would be talking to you inside your head?' _

"Well, next time, give me a little advance warning, will ya? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Sam was staring at Jack. "Sir?"

"Your boyfriend just spoke inside my head, and it was not a pleasant experience."

_'I'm sorry, Jack, but we've got big problems here,'_ Daniel's voice in his mind said. _'Teal'c and I had no choice but to reveal ourselves.' _

"Crap. Do they know that you're Dan'yar?"

_'No, but this isn't all. The mothership has arrived. Once Trelak tells Ares that we're here, he'll probably start scanning the surface, looking for the rest of SG-1. He'll likely send down more Jaffa as well.' _

Jack turned to Sam. "Carter, you need to get this ship fixed _now_!"

"Almost done, sir! Just a couple more minutes."

"We don't have a couple more minutes!"

Sam worked feverishly, worried about what was happening with Daniel and Teal'c.

"I'm done! I think!" she called out a moment later. She hurried into the cockpit. "Try powering it up, sir."

Jack turned his full attention on the ship, not really knowing how to do what he was supposed to.

_'Focus your mind, Daniel said. Yeah, right. Easy for **him** to say.' _

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Trelak studied the two men before him, who had been stripped of their cloaks and their weapons. "What were you and your allies planning?" he asked. Neither of the men said a word, staring back at him defiantly. The First Prime walked up to Teal'c. "Know this, shol'va. I'll see to it that you suffer slowly."

"And I will see to it that you die quickly," the former First Prime responded.

Trelak snorted derisively. He wielded his staff weapon and drove the end into Teal'c's midriff, making him double over. Teal'c slowly straightened only to be struck from behind by another Jaffa, the blow knocking him to his knees. Proudly, he rose to his feet.

"I think not," Trelak said. "My men guard the gate, and the mothership descends as we speak." He chuckled and strode away triumphantly.

_'Teal'c, are you all right?'_ Daniel asked silently. Watching his friend being beaten had made him yearn to use his abilities and put a stop to it.

_'I am fine, Daniel Jackson. However, the arrival of the mothership means that, soon, there will be far more Jaffa here.' _

_'I know. If Sam and Jack don't get that puddle jumper in the air really soon, we're all going to be in big trouble.' _

--------------------------------------------------

The damn ship wasn't cooperating, and Jack felt like taking a sledgehammer to it. He'd been thinking at it for a good half a minute, and nothing was happening. But he couldn't give up. Everyone's lives were riding on this.

And then, all of a sudden, it happened. The ship responded to his command. The cockpit lights flickered on, the hum of the engines growing steadier and louder. Jack removed his hands from the console as the ship awoke fully from its long slumber, shaking loose years of plant growth from its hull. Jack told it to lift off, and it obeyed.

_'Daniel, we're in the air,'_ Sam called silently, hoping he'd hear.

Daniel did hear, but, at that moment, he could not take the time to answer.

"You were plotting in concert with the people of this world," Trelak was saying, his voice heavy with loathing. "Treachery is something we cannot abide."

Maybourne stepped up, giving Teal'c a look of disgust. "I couldn't agree with you more." He strode over to Trelak. "You think you feel outraged? Imagine how I feel, betrayed by my own people!"

Either Trelak didn't buy his act or had decided he'd had enough of the man. He seizes Maybourne by the throat and began to strangle him.

At that moment, they all heard a sound that Daniel instantly recognized: the engines of a puddle jumper. It flew low and fast over the village. Taking advantage of the distraction, the two men of SG-1 attacked. Daniel grabbed hold of one of their two guards and rendered him unconscious with his abilities as Teal'c wrested the staff weapon away from the other guard and began hitting its former owner with it. Daniel got the downed Jaffa's zat gun. His instincts were urging him to use his powers, but he couldn't, not yet, not until that mothership was taken care of.

But fate – or circumstance – was conspiring against him. After zatting a Jaffa that was about to shoot him from a position on a building's second floor, another Jaffa attacked Daniel, attempting to hit him in the stomach with a staff weapon. The archeologist dodged away from the weapon and quickly dealt with the man, his physical strength and agility now heightened by his powers.

And then it happened. A warning blared through Daniel's mind an instant before he saw yet another Jaffa fire a staff weapon at him. There was no time to dive for cover. Daniel's mind reacted instinctively. The Jaffa was shocked to see the killing blast deflected harmlessly into the air.

Knowing that the secret was now out, Daniel killed the Jaffa with a thought. There could be no prisoners this time. Every Jaffa here knew that he was Daniel Jackson. If the knowledge that he was also Dan'yar reached the Goa'uld, more than just his life would be at risk.

A few yards away, Teal'c was in mortal combat with Trelak after having taken care of the guard and another Jaffa. Both men were focused fully upon each other, so neither of them noticed when "Dan'yar" at last stepped into the battle.

Daniel psychically threw a Jaffa fifty feet through the air to smash with killing force against a wall. Maybourne, who'd recovered from nearly being choked to death, witnessed the event. So did two other Jaffa.

"It is Dan'yar!" one of them cried. He and his companion raised their weapons to shoot Daniel, but they never got the chance to pull the trigger. Two balls of fire sprang into existence and streaked toward them like small missiles, killing them instantly.

And then what Daniel had feared came to pass. The only Jaffa left besides Trelak grabbed his communicator and called the mothership.

"Dan'yar is here!" he cried. He was dead a moment later, but it was too late. Up in the mothership, Ares heard the cry. Dan'yar, the enemy of all Goa'uld, was on that planet. He gave the immediate order to launch the death gliders that had been waiting for his command.

In the puddle jumper, Sam saw the new targets on the screen.

"Oh no. They've launched several ships, General."

"Are they heading for us?"

"No, for the surface."

"Crap. Something tells me that the cat is out of the bag."

Back in the village, Teal'c was fighting to keep Trelak's knife from plunging into him. Slowly he forced the blade down between their bodies. Then, with a surge of strength, he drove the knife into his enemy's body, killing the larva within and fatally wounding the man who carried it.

The dying Trelak looked into his eyes. "You are a man of your word."

"Indeed," Teal'c responded, shoving the blade in deeper. He walked away in contempt as Trelak went to his knees, then fell dead to the ground. Teal'c looked about and saw that all the other Jaffa were either unconscious or dead.

Daniel ran up to him. "We've got trouble, Teal'c. I had to use my abilities. One of the Jaffa alerted Ares. Nine death gliders are on their way."

"What of O'Neill and Colonel Carter?"

"They've got their hands full."

Jack and Sam did, indeed, have their hands full. They were under attack by the mothership and were desperately trying not to get blown out of the sky.

"Weapons," Jack muttered, talking to the puddle jumper. He closed his eyes, concentrating harder than he ever had before in his life. "Weapons."

Suddenly, two drones, glowing with deadly intent, were launched from the little craft and headed unerringly toward the mothership. They struck, causing a small explosion.

"Keep firing, sir," Sam said.

Jack tried but without success. "Nothing's happening."

"Weapons must be depleted. Hopefully, you hit some vital systems."

As they watched, wondering if they were going to be killed in the next moment, fireballs began to erupt from the hull of the mothership. Then a massive explosion ripped through it. Jack quickly pulled the puddle jumper up and away as Ares' ship met its doom, taking the Goa'uld with it.

Sam smiled in relief.

"Think that was vital?" Jack asked.

"Relatively speaking," Sam responded teasingly. Her levity did not last. "Sir, those death gliders."

"I know. And we're out of weapons, so there's not a damn thing we can do to stop them."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel and Teal'c ran. They had to get clear of the village for the battle that would soon be upon them. Daniel didn't know how he was going to stop that many death gliders, but he had to try, for the sake of both his life and the lives of Teal'c and every person in the village.

Running behind the teammates were Maybourne, Garan and several other armed villagers. They were partway into the meadow beyond the village when the death gliders came into sight. Seconds later, Daniel sensed the destruction of the mothership. The blast lit up the sky.

"O'Neill was victorious!" Teal'c shouted.

"Yeah, but he's out of weapons," Daniel said, "which means he can't help us." He turned back to the gliders, hoping that the death of their master would cause the Jaffa to turn around and leave. The ships kept on coming.

Teal'c lifted his staff weapon and aimed it at the approaching enemy. If he was to die this day, he would do so fighting.

"Maybourne, get those people out of here!" Daniel yelled over his shoulder.

"No!" Garan responded. "We will stand by our king!"

Daniel had no more time to devote attention to the villagers. Gathering his power, he reached out his hand. The power leapt from him and raced toward one of the gliders. It struck an engine, which blew up spectacularly, sending the ship careening into the ground.

Maybourne's jaw dropped. "Holy shit! Jack wasn't kidding!"

In the next moment, the other eight death gliders were upon them. The weapons fire made the villagers scatter. Teal'c returned fire.

Daniel struck again, this time blasting a gaping hole in the cockpit window of his target. The shrapnel ripped into the face and chest of the pilot, who lost control and crashed. Two down, seven to go.

That's when Daniel recalled something he did at the Alpha Site when it was under attack by Anubis' forces. He spun around and faced an oncoming death glider. He stood firm as it bore down upon him, firing its weapons. Suddenly, the blasts of destructive energy turned around in midair and streaked back toward the ship that fired them, blowing it apart.

Daniel's sixth sense blared a warning, and he turned just in time to see a death glider streaking toward the village. Daniel's attack tore a hole in the hull. The mortally wounded ship went down. Barely was that accomplished when another death glider swooped in for the kill, aiming for Daniel and Teal'c. It was almost upon them, too close for Daniel to chance bringing it down. He deflected the weapons fire away instead. As the glider passed by, he aimed his attack at one of its engines. It crashed in flames seconds later.

Throughout it all, Maybourne just stood and stared in stunned fascination, watching the man he used to consider a troublesome geek single-handedly bring down ship after ship with a power beyond anything the ex-operative for the NID could have imagined.

What happened next made him realize that he'd only seen the tip of the iceberg.

There were still four gliders in the air, and the ache in Daniel's head was telling him that he was using his power too much. But he couldn't stop. That's when the odds against him rose even higher. Three of the four gliders chose to attack all at the same time, two aiming toward the people in the meadow, one toward the village. There was no time for a separate attack on each one.

Daniel dove even deeper into the well of power within him. In the sky above them a gigantic fireball flared into existence. It hurtled toward the nearest gliders. The pilots saw its approach and swerved away, but there was no escape. The fire consumed the first glider, shattering the windows and incinerating the occupants. Not pausing, the ball of fire went after the second glider, which very quickly met the same fate. Like a falcon swooping toward its prey, the fireball then dove for the third glider, which was almost upon the village. The pilot saw it, but it was far too late to even attempt an escape. The flames struck, and the glider plummeted to the ground, its pilot and co-pilot already dead.

Daniel swayed on his feet, the pain in his head like a hot poker. Teal'c grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Teal'c," he gasped. "I don't know if I have enough strength to take care of the last one." He grasped his head, his eyes clamped shut.

Teal'c lifted his eyes to the final death glider as it streaked toward them, intent upon their death.

At that moment, rescue came from out of nowhere. The puddle jumper dove straight at the death glider, which swerved to avoid a collision.

"Great job, sir!" Sam cried.

"Yeah, well it's not over yet," Jack said. "Playing Chicken with an armed death glider is going to get us killed sooner or later . . . probably sooner."

The death glider swung around and went after its new target.

"I guess we're about to see how maneuverable these little ships are."

Jack learned that the puddle jumpers were very maneuverable indeed, but it would only be a matter of time before they were hit. Seconds later, they were struck a glancing blow.

Jack cursed. "Carter, now would be a good time for one of your brilliant ideas."

Sam thought frantically. "I've got it! Sir, these ships have a DHD built into them. Once you dial the gate, the computer takes over and flies the ship right through, unless you override and go to manual control."

"And your idea is?"

"We make a dive for the gate and dial it up. We'll fly through, but the glider will crash into it."

"And what if it manages to pull up in time?"

"It'll have to be a really steep dive, sir. If we're lucky, the glider won't notice the gate until it's too late to pull up."

"You do realize that this will take out the gate."

"It would only take the Prometheus a few hours to get here, sir."

"We should have just hit Maybourne over the head and dragged him through the gate," Jack muttered. He made a quick turn and headed toward the Stargate, putting the ship into a steep climb. The death glider followed.

Jack let out an oath. "That guy sure is persistent."

At what he figured was the right moment, Jack turned the nose downward and dove earthward, eyes on the distant gate. They were struck by another energy blast, which rocked the little ship.

Sam's hand hovered over the DHD, waiting for the right second to dial. When the moment came, she rapidly punched in the address to a world that had nothing but a big empty field beyond its Stargate, plenty enough room for the ship when it came shooting through.

They were getting awfully close to the gate when it burst into life. Jack abruptly no longer had control of the puddle jumper. He let the computer do its thing.

Before he knew it, they were at the gate, the four Jaffa guarding it firing at them. He closed his eyes and stiffened, expecting to crash into the ring. But the ship did what it was designed to do and shot right through. Too late, the pilot of the death glider saw the Stargate looming before him. He tried to pull up, but gravity was against him. His ship's wing slammed into the gate, toppling it. Seconds later, the crippled glider fatally ended its flight.

Unable to see everything with his physical eyes, Daniel had watched it all play out with his mind's eye.

"Jack did it!" he told the others. "He flew the puddle jumper right through the gate. The glider couldn't pull up in time and crashed into it."

"Uhhh, what about the gate?" Maybourne asked.

"It's fallen. Whether or not it still works is anybody's guess."

"So, does this mean that you're going to be our guests for a while?"

"Probably not so long. Jack will likely call the SGC from wherever they are now and tell them to send the Prometheus here. It's now outfitted with Asgard hyperdrive engines."

"How'd you manage that? The Asgard actually gave them to you?"

"Yes, they did. A lot has changed these last couple of years."

Maybourne studied him. "You're not kidding." He noticed the pain in Daniel's eyes and the paleness of his face. "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

"Daniel Jackson's abilities take a great physical toll upon him if they are used too extensively," Teal'c explained.

Daniel closed his eyes, wanting to lie down somewhere dark and quiet. "And I definitely used them too extensively." He lifted a shaking hand to his head. "Uhhh . . . Teal'c, I need to sit down."

The Jaffa helped him to the ground. He rested his forehead on his crossed arms, shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

"Is he going to be all right?" Maybourne asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"He will be fine," Teal'c replied, "but it will take some time."

Garan came running up. She looked at Daniel. "Is he injured?"

"No," Maybourne answered. "He's . . . ill. Go to the village and bring back a wagon for him to ride on."

The woman glanced once more at the man whose power almost frightened her, then did as her king commanded.

Daniel was taken to the village in the back of the wagon, lying down at Teal'c's insistence, the Jaffa sitting beside him. The archeologist's legs almost buckled as he got out of the wagon. With Teal'c helping to keep him upright, he was led by Maybourne to the "palace". Actually, it was a stone structure attached to the hall that at one time had been official chambers for the village elders.

A minute later, Daniel was lying on the bed in the king's personal chambers.

"It's the most comfortable bed in the place," Maybourne said. "It's the least I can do to thank him."

Daniel didn't hear the remark, having already fallen asleep.

"Let us leave him to rest," Teal'c said.

They exited the room. Maybourne went over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of pale yellow liquid.

"The local moonshine," he explained as he poured some into a cup. "It's got quite a kick. You want some? Oh, that's right. You don't drink alcohol. Or has that changed, too?"

"It has not, even though I no longer carry a symbiote."

Maybourne looked at him in surprise. "You don't? How's that possible?"

"A drug called Tretonin has completely released me from my slavery to the Goa'uld. It is my hope that, someday, all Jaffa will know the same freedom."

Maybourne shook his head and took a sip from his cup. "I can't believe how much has changed in two years." He looked at the door to his bedroom. "And him. He's like a totally different person. What he did out there was unbelievable."

"Daniel Jackson does have great power now, but, in his heart, he is still the same man. He has simply found an even greater level of the strength within him."

"Yeah, I guess I did always underestimate him. Not anymore, not after _that_ demonstration."

Garan came in. "King Arkhan, the surviving Jaffa have revived. What are your wishes?"

Teal'c's expression turned somber. "They cannot be allowed to live. Though none of them witnessed the use of Daniel Jackson's powers, they have probably heard the villagers talk about what happened. It is likely that they know that Daniel Jackson is Dan'yar."

"Dan'yar?" Maybourne questioned. "Oh. That must be Jackson's secret identity. Hmm. Dan'yar, huh? Not bad. Has a nice sound to it."

They went outside to where the three Jaffa were being held. These Jaffa were not the only ones who survived. There were also the men who'd guarded the gate. A couple dozen armed villagers had been sent out to hunt for them.

The three prisoners glared at Teal'c.

"Our god will free us and kill all of you for this," one of them said.

Teal'c gave him a smile of satisfaction. "Your god is dead, his mothership destroyed."

"You lie."

"If he lived, do you not think that he would have sent a great army by now? He is dead, as are most of the Jaffa sent to subjugate these people."

One of the other Jaffa lifted his chin defiantly. "And, now, you will kill us as well."

"Yes," Teal'c said. "Do any of you renounce the Goa'uld for the false gods that they are? If so, speak now."

"We are not Shol'va," said the first Jaffa. "We will die proud warriors of the Goa'uld."

Teal'c nodded once. "So be it." He took the zat gun from his belt and aimed it at the three Jaffa. Hesitating only a moment, he zatted each of them once and then a second time, that second shot taking their lives.

Regretting that such an act had been necessary, Teal'c walked away.

--------------------------------------------------

All of the Jaffa that had guarded the gate were dead. One had died when the death glider struck the Stargate, the other three killed by the villagers sent to find them. Two villagers had been injured in the fight, but not badly.

Daniel walked through the village, trying to ignore the way everyone was staring at him. He'd mostly recovered from the overuse of his abilities, though he still had a lingering headache.

"Hey. Doctor Jackson!"

Daniel turned to see Maybourne coming, a big smile on his face.

"I see that you're finally up and about," the man said. "How's the head?"

"Better."

"Good. That's good. I didn't get the chance to thank you for what you did. The whole village is grateful. So anything you want, anything at all, and it's yours. You want some of those guangos? I'll send you back home with a case."

"Actually, I never did taste one."

"Well, I can take care of that right now. I bet you're hungry. I should imagine using all that power works up quite an appetite."

Daniel admitted to himself that he was starving. He hadn't eaten anything since they arrived on the planet, and that was quite a few hours ago. The sun was now setting.

By now, Jack had probably already ordered the Prometheus to come get him and Teal'c. Daniel didn't know how long it would take the ship to arrive. Come to think of it, he didn't even know what the status of the Stargate was.

"Does the gate still work?" he asked the man who was walking beside him.

"It sure does," Maybourne replied. "Those things are really hard to break. It's lying on its back, though, so no one can come through. Jack contacted us through it. He and Colonel Carter made it through okay to some other planet, but that ship of theirs had some sort of mechanical difficulty and is now stuck there till it can be fixed. Jack said that they were going to gate through to the SGC. He was going to send the Prometheus out to pick you and Teal'c up, but I told him to save the taxpayers' money. We'll get the gate back up where it belongs in the morning." He smiled. "So, this means that you'll be our guests for the night. We've got a big feast planned for this evening in celebration of the victory, and you and Teal'c are the guests of honor. Too bad Jack can't attend. He's really gonna miss out."

Daniel asked where Teal'c was, and Maybourne took him to the Jaffa, who stood beside a pile of staff weapons, weapons that Daniel knew had belonged to the men they'd killed.

"I'll, uh . . . leave you two alone to talk," Maybourne said. He turned and headed back the way they'd come.

Daniel covered the rest of the distance to his friend and teammate.

"Teal'c?"

The Jaffa looked at him. "Daniel Jackson. It is good to see that you have recovered."

Daniel's eyes went to the weapons. "I'm sorry that we had to kill them all, Teal'c. I wish we hadn't had to."

"There is no need for apologies, Daniel Jackson. They chose to willingly serve a false and evil god. We did what was necessary. Your identity as Dan'yar must be protected."

It was at times like this that Daniel felt that his abilities weren't all that great a thing to have. He had to wonder how events would have played out if he didn't possess these powers, if Dan'yar didn't exist. Ares probably wouldn't have sent those death gliders when he did, which meant that all Daniel and Teal'c would have had to deal with were the Jaffa in the village.

Deciding that there was no point in wondering how things might have been, Daniel rested his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. The Jaffa met his eyes, then nodded once.

With one final look at the weapons, the two men walked away to join the people whose lives they'd helped to save.

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Maybourne hadn't been exaggerating when he used the word "feast". Several tables were nearly groaning under the weight of all the food on them, which included roasted meat, a variety of cheeses, bread, fruit and vegetables. Still more tables had been set up for the seating. Maybourne sat at the head of the king's table, Daniel to his right and Teal'c to his left.

At one point, the ex-colonel stood and called for everyone's attention.

"My friends and subjects, today we celebrate the destruction of the oppressors who sought to enslave us. I wish I could take some credit for our victory, but the truth is that all our thanks belong to these two men," he gestured at Daniel and Teal'c, "and their friends from Earth, who could not be here to share this meal with us." Maybourne lifted his goblet. "I would like to propose a toast. To SG-1 and General O'Neill."

All of the villagers raised their cups and repeated the toast, taking a drink.

"From this day forward, they will be welcomed with open arms and treated as valued friends," Maybourne said.

Loud applause and cheers followed his proclamation.

Maybourne sat back down. He smiled at the two members of SG-1. "I can guarantee that if you come visit us again, you'll get a lot warmer welcome from everyone than you did this time."

Daniel didn't foresee an occasion when they'd be coming back here, but he chose not to say so.

"So, did you tell everyone the truth about the prophecy?" he asked.

"Yeah, while you were asleep. I told Garan, Fen and Jeth that I would, so I couldn't very well back out of it."

"How'd it go? I noticed that no one here seems to be mad at you."

"The villagers accepted the news well," Teal'c said. "They are aware that what Harry Maybourne has done for them to improve their way of life did not come from the writings on the temple."

Maybourne shrugged. "I guess they all decided that my little fib about the prophecies wasn't that big a deal. I've decided to teach everyone how to read Ancient so that anyone who wants to can read the things written on those pillars. It's a part of their culture and history, so it's only right that they know what it all says. I don't know how well I'm going to be as a language teacher, though. That's not my gig." He looked at Daniel. "Too bad you can't do it."

"Sorry, but I'm kind of busy fighting Goa'uld."

"Yes, I bet you are. Teal'c's told me about what you've done since gaining these abilities. Osiris, Baal, Moloc. You've racked up quite a Goa'uld body count. And, now, you can add Ares to the list."

Daniel shook his head. "No, that one goes to Jack and Sam. I had nothing to do with it."

"Nevertheless, you've accomplished a lot. And you've got the whole Jaffa rebel movement just about worshiping at your feet." Maybourne grinned. "Pretty impressive."

Daniel frowned and looked at Teal'c. "Did you have to tell him about that?"

"Harry Maybourne wished to know how you came to be known as Dan'yar."

The ex-colonel nodded. "Yes, that was quite a story he told. It's no wonder that you're at the top of the Goa'uld hit list."

"Don't remind me."

"Well, your secret is safe with me, as well as everyone else here."

There was a time when Daniel wouldn't have trusted a word out of Maybourne's mouth, but he believed that the man was telling the truth. The archeologist doubted that Jack would ever believe it, but perhaps Harry Maybourne really _had_ changed – and maybe, just maybe, he was the kind of king these people needed.


	46. Chapter 46

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Daniel and Teal'c spent that night as personal guests of "King Arkhan". Early the next morning they joined a large group of villagers at the Stargate. The pedestal that the gate had been mounted on was damaged, and several villagers got busy repairing it as the others worked on attaching ropes to the gate itself in preparation of lifting it. Daniel, of course, would be helping with the lifting, and not by pulling on ropes.

As the archeologist watched the proceedings, he sensed someone hurrying up to him. He pretended not to be aware of them until there was a tug on his pant leg. He looked down at a little girl, recognizing her to be the one he'd seen with Maybourne yesterday.

"Hello there," he greeted with a smile.

The child held up a bouquet of flowers.

"Are those for me?" Daniel asked. Upon receiving a nod, he took them. "Thank you. They're very pretty."

With a shy smile, the girl ran off.

A few minutes later, someone else approached him. The archeologist recognized him as Fen, the man who almost revealed Daniel's identity. Fen's head was bowed as he stopped before the linguist.

"I have come to beg your forgiveness," he said. "I betrayed you. Worst, I betrayed my king, who commanded us not to reveal what we knew, and my people, who almost died because of my actions."

"You were trying to save your wife, Fen. I understand why you did it. In your situation, many people would have done the same thing."

Fen lifted his eyes to Daniel. "Would you?"

The archeologist hesitated. He thought about what he would have done if it had been Sam in Alein's place. Then he thought about what she would have wanted him to do if it _had_ been her. She would have wanted him to remain silent.

"I don't know, Fen. I hope I never have to find out."

A while later, the villagers and Daniel lifted the Stargate back up. As soon as the archeologist was certain that it was firmly in place and wouldn't be toppling over again, he dialed Earth.

"Daniel. Nice to hear from you," Jack said. "So, you ready to come home?"

"Yep. Everything's all settled here."

"Then come on through."

Daniel turned to Maybourne. "Well, it's been . . . interesting, Maybourne. Thanks for the hospitality."

"Any time, Doctor Jackson. You, too, Teal'c. And tell Jack that he's welcome here whenever he has a yen for the simple life."

"I'll pass on the message. Actually, I'm a little surprised that you like it here. You never struck me as the kind of guy who'd enjoy this sort of life."

Maybourne smiled. "Between you and me, I'm surprised, too. I guess I didn't know myself as well as I thought I did. Besides, I couldn't very well leave my wives, now could I."

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "Wives?"

Maybourne smiled over his shoulder at three pretty young women. They all smiled back at him.

Daniel shook his head. "You know, I think I'll keep that little fact to myself. I can just imagine what Sam would say if she found out."

With a wave to the villagers, who all waved back, Daniel went through the gate with Teal'c.

An hour later, the two men were in the briefing room with Jack and Sam.

"So, Daniel," the general said. "We're all eager to hear the tale you have to tell."

Daniel and Teal'c recounted the events that led up to the death glider attack. Jack and Sam listened in amazement as Daniel then described how he brought down the eight gliders.

"Pretty impressive, Daniel," Jack said. "Frankly, I didn't think you could do it."

"Neither did I," Daniel admitted. "I guess I'm getting better at wrecking Goa'uld ships. I've certainly had enough practice."

Jack searched the face of his best friend. "This raises a very important question. Are your powers getting stronger?"

Surprised by the question, Daniel didn't answer right away. "I, um . . . I don't think that they're actually getting stronger, I just think that I'm able to handle more now without overdoing it. Back when this first started, I likened the overuse of my abilities to overusing a muscle. Well, the more you use a muscle, the more accustomed it becomes to being used."

"Yeah, I think Teal'c suggested the same thing."

"I _do_ know that I can do a lot more now than I could in the beginning. A lot of things that gave me a headache back then barely faze me now."

"Yeah, I bet you could lift a Stargate all by yourself now without breaking sweat."

"Well, I don't know about that. I'm not planning on seeing if I can. The fact is that I've also learned how to manage the use of my abilities better. I can accomplish the same thing and use less power. If I'd tried to actually blow up all eight of those gliders, it would have been way too much. Instead, I targeted the engines and the pilots, which resulted in the same thing. It was only with those last three that I had to get more. . . ."

"Spectacular?" Jack filled in, wishing he could have seen that enormous fireball attack those three gliders.

"I was going to say aggressive. I didn't have time to attack each glider individually. It was that last attack that pushed me over the edge, especially since I, um . . ." Daniel's gaze fell away from Jack, "wanted to be sure that the fire was hot enough and hit hard enough that the Jaffa would die quickly."

The comment sobered everyone and made Jack frown. Yet again, the archeologist had been forced to take a lot of lives, and, yet again, it was probably bothering him.

Jack looked at the three people sitting with him at the table. "I hate to bring this up so soon after such a rough mission, but I got a call about that mission with the Al'Kesh. They've still got it in their heads that, if our mystery Goa'uld isn't on Tartarus, you're to go looking for him. And they want that to happen right away. I told them that they were just going to have to wait another day or two since Daniel might need a bit of a breather after knocking eight death gliders out of the sky. I'm sure that Fraiser will back me up on that."

"Oh, there's no doubt about that," Daniel responded.

Sam smiled. "Did Janet give you a hard time?"

"No, she just gave me her doctor frown and sighed rather loudly. I think she's given up on the lectures. But then, it's not like I had a lot of options available to me."

"Okay, then that settles it," Jack said. "Tomorrow, we'll get together in a nice little conference call and tell them what we will and will not do on that mission. If we can all come to an agreement, we'll schedule the mission for Wednesday." He got to his feet. "I'd say that's it for now. Daniel, come join me in my office."

As his teammates left the room, Daniel followed Jack into the office.

"So, how are you doing?" the general asked after he'd settled in his chair.

"Fine. The headache was gone when I got up this morning."

"I'm not asking about your physical well-being, I'm asking how you're feeling about having to kill all those Jaffa."

"I've killed Jaffa before, Jack, a lot of them."

"Yes, but never to protect your identity."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the desktop. "I know that it was necessary. I don't like it, but I do know that. I just wish the pilots of those gliders had chosen to turn around instead of attacking. They didn't know who I was, so there wouldn't have been a problem if they'd gotten away."

"That was their choice, Daniel. That's just the way it is sometimes. And I know how you killed some of them is bothering you, but when lives are on the line, you can't be selective about how you eliminate a threat." Jack studied his friend's face. "There's something you need to understand. Your safety and keeping secret the truth of who Dan'yar really is are more important than a thousand Jaffa who are willingly serving the Goa'uld."

Daniel looked at him. "And what about the ones who aren't doing it so willingly? We don't know how many who wanted to be free died yesterday."

"You can't think about that, Daniel. It'll drive you crazy if you do. Besides, I killed a hell of a lot more Jaffa yesterday than you did. I'm the one who pulled the trigger on Ares' ship. As far as I'm concern, what's important is that all of us made it out alive, and all those people on that planet are now safe . . . oh, and we bagged another snake while we were at it, and that _always_ makes for a good day."

Daniel nodded, knowing that Jack was right.

"Go get your report written, and then go on home," Jack told him. "Rest, relax. You deserve it. Carter can go home early, too, although I don't know how much rest you'll actually get if you two are together."

Embarrassed by the comment, Daniel left. He did as Jack commanded, going straight home after submitting his report. Sam came over around an hour later, and the couple spent a quiet evening together. Despite Jack's remark, Daniel did get some rest, being in the mood just to cuddle with Sam and watch some TV. They talked only a little about what happened, Sam saying pretty much the same things Jack did.

The next morning, Daniel found a surprise in his office. Someone had apparently decided to get cute and hung eight origami death gliders from the ceiling.

Jack, who'd stopped by, studied the unknown person's handiwork.

"Well, clearly it must be someone who has a lot of guts," he remarked. "Either that or someone with not much common sense. Everyone on base knows what you did to Ferretti for the stunt he pulled."

"Jack, it's just some paper gliders. It didn't cause any harm. I'm not going to go out and seek revenge."

"Well, no, of course not. But still."

"To be honest, I'm kind of glad about it."

Jack stared at him. "You are?"

"The base just found out that I single-handedly brought down eight death gliders with the power of my mind. Something like that could make people a little nervous. The fact that someone did this," he held up one of the paper creations, "means that they know they have no reason to feel that way."

"I see what you mean." Jack picked up one of the gliders and studied it. "So, do these things fly?"

"I don't know. I haven't tried."

Jack drew back his arm and sent the paper spaceship sailing across the room.

"Sweet," he said with a little smile.

Daniel handed the rest to him. "Here. You can play with them in your office."

"Thanks. This paper is a lot more fun than the piles I've got sitting on my desk."

"So, when are we going to talk to those guys about the mission?"

"This afternoon. As you probably already know, Carter's off getting that puddle jumper up and running."

Daniel nodded. "I'll be going through to bring it here as soon as she's finished."

"And then you'll be flying it to Area 51 after it gets dark. The eggheads there are very eager to get their hands on it."

"I bet."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel was on his way to lunch when Ferretti came up to him.

"So, I heard about those death gliders," he said.

"The ones I blew up or the ones someone hung in my office?"

"The ones you blew up. Somebody hung gliders in your office? The grapevine is failing me. I didn't hear about that."

"They were just origami. No big deal. Actually, Jack is probably playing with them in his office right now."

"Ah, so no buckets of pink paint will be descending upon any other heads?"

Daniel smiled faintly. "Nope, I reserve that for people who deliberately get me drunk because they think it'll be funny."

"Daniel, I can guarantee that will _never_ happen again. So, anyway, about those gliders. Eight of them? Wow. You really have become a one-man army, haven't you."

"Ferretti, if you think it was easy, think again. Teal'c had to hold me up to keep me from falling afterwards. Every time I do something like that, I feel like my head is going to explode. It isn't the least bit fun, and it certainly isn't any fun knowing that I'm taking lives."

The lieutenant colonel's expression had sobered. "I know, Daniel. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of it. It's just that what you can do is so amazing. You're a big hero to nearly everyone here."

The archeologist shook his head. "I'm not a big hero, no bigger than a lot of other people."

"Yes, Daniel, you are. You're the only one who doesn't see that. I don't know if Jack ever told you, but there was a lot of talk several months ago that you'd be offered command of your own team."

Startled, Daniel stared at him. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"I thought for sure that Jack would have told you or that it would have made it onto the base grapevine. I _was_ offered command of a team, not long after the mission to rescue Sam and Teal'c from Baal."

Ferretti's mouth fell open. "You were?"

"Yeah. I turned it down."

"You did?"

"I had no desire to leave SG-1."

"Whoa. How'd the brass take your refusal?"

"They weren't happy, but General Hammond saw to it that they didn't keep pushing me. They've never said anything about it since then, at least not that I know of."

"And what about Jack? I bet he was happy that you didn't want to leave the team."

Daniel smiled, remembering his friend's reaction to his decision. "Yes, he was happy."

Ferretti stared at him closely. "So, you really didn't want your own team?"

"No, and I still don't. I'm perfectly happy where I am."

Ferretti grinned. "Well, I guess nobody can be dissatisfied with how it's been working out."

"I suppose not, although you never know when that might change."

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It was just after lunch when Sam dialed home with the news that the puddle jumper was repaired and ready to go. Daniel gated to the planet and piloted the ship through the Stargate and into the gate room. He then flew it up and out the opening that at one time had been the missile silo hatch. The ship was landed on the mountain top near the door and covered with camouflage nets to temporarily hide it.

All of SG-1 were present for the conference call that was made two hours later. Right at the start, Jack told the men on the phone that he was not going to let any of his people go park themselves in the middle of a battle, where any stray shot could blast them to bits. There were a few objections to that.

"So, tell me," Jack said. "Would you be willing to go with them? Would you happily sit in that Al'Kesh as weapons fire is blazing all around you and ships are being blown up right and left? Because, if you are, I'll tell SG-1 to go pick you up on the way."

"Obviously, we don't want them to take a position right in the middle of the battle," General Stevenson said. "They could sit on the fringes, just close enough for Doctor Jackson to scan the ships and find out who is in command of Anubis' fleet."

"Okay, ya see, there's a problem with that logic. Battles in space can range all over the place, especially the big ones, and everything is moving a whole lot faster than troops on the ground or ships at sea. What's at the fringes one second could be the eye of the hurricane the next."

"Doctor Jackson, how far away can you be from something and still see things?" General Wayne asked.

"That all depends. The farther away I am, the harder it is. I have doubts that I'll even be able to see anything on Tartarus from as far away as we're going to have to be."

"Yet you were able to see Colonel Carter when she was stranded on the Prometheus, and that was a much greater distance."

"That was a different situation. I know Sam. We have a personal connection. And I was familiar with the Prometheus. I've never been to Tartarus, and I don't know the person I'm looking for. I have nothing specific to focus on. The only advantage is that I have a precise location to look. This ability isn't like a spy satellite that you can aim at a target and spy on people with. It's a lot more complicated than that, and it's not nearly as reliable."

Jack and SG-1 were put on hold so that the others could discuss things.

"All right, this is what we propose," said General Wayne when he and the others came back on the line. "Go to Tartarus and do your best to see what's there. If you can't, then come on home. If you _can_ and don't find out what we want to know, then you're to attempt to gain intel on a battle that Anubis' forces are fighting. If you believe that you can take up a position far enough away from the battle to be out of danger yet still scan the ships, then we expect you to do so. Otherwise, what you do will be left up to your judgment. I just want to make it clear that we believe it's important to find out who is controlling Anubis' forces."

After the call was ended, Jack focused his gaze upon Daniel.

"Okay, so give it to me straight. What do you think your chances are of being able to see anything?"

"I honestly can't answer that, Jack. I've never done this before, not from so far away."

"Then I guess we're going to find out."

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Waiting for the sun to go down, Daniel and Sam had an early dinner together in their quarters, deciding that they wanted some privacy.

"Nurse Casey asked me today what it was like to be in a romantic relationship with someone like you," Sam said partway through the meal.

Daniel's brows lifted slightly. "Someone like me?"

"Someone with the kind of power you have."

"Oh." Daniel looked down at his plate, moving the food around. "What did you tell her?"

Sam took his hand. "That being in a relationship with you is the most wonderful experience of my life . . . and that I'd still feel that way even if you didn't have all those abilities."

Daniel met her gaze, warmed all the way through his soul by her words. "I feel the same way about you, Sam. I think about all those years that we were together as just friends and teammates, and I wonder how it is that I didn't see that you were the one I was meant to be with."

Sam smiled. "You really believe that, that we were meant to be?"

"I'm not saying that we were fated for each other or that it was our destiny. I certainly couldn't believe in fate after all the times that I've altered the future with my actions. But, yeah, I think that you're the one I was meant to be with. I loved Sha're very much. A part of me will always love her and miss her. But what I have with you is so much a part of me that if I ever had to live my life without you, it would be like half of me was gone."

Daniel's words filled Sam so full that, for a moment, she couldn't speak. She reached out and stroked his cheek. "I love you so much," she murmured. They came together in a long, slow kiss.

Once darkness had fallen, Daniel and Sam headed for Nevada in the puddle jumper. The archeologist decided to take the opportunity to familiarize himself with the ship and its capabilities. That's how it is that he discovered something.

"Hey, it has a cloak," he said.

"It does? I didn't know puddle jumpers had cloaking devices. I never even thought to ask."

"Well, this one does at least. I guess it makes sense. If you're going to be taking trips to other periods in time, you'd want to be able to hide the ship so that history wouldn't be altered because someone saw it."

"Yes, you're right. So, I guess we wouldn't have had to wait till dark after all. We could have flown it to Area 51 anytime without worrying about being seen."

After leaving the ship in the hands of the scientists at the secret base, Daniel and Sam did not go back to Colorado. Since they would have to have to come right back there to get the Al'Kesh in the morning, it had been decided that they might as well stay the night at Area 51. Unfortunately, the base commander was very old school military and insisted that Daniel and Sam stay in separate quarters.

Early the next morning, Teal'c arrived, and SG-1 headed out on their mission. It didn't take long to get to Tartarus. Teal'c stopped the ship well outside the range of the powerful sensor array that protected the planet from surprise visitors. Cloaked, they sat still in space as Daniel attempted to see within the structures on the planet.

As Daniel had feared, never having seen the base before nor even the planet it was on – coupled with the distance to the target – was making it very difficult to get a "lock". The minutes passed without success. He was just about to give up, when a fleeting image came into his mind. He focused upon it, putting even more effort into his attempt. The image grew clearer. He was seeing the inside of a room that he realized a moment later contained a throne. The room was empty.

Now that he'd finally succeeded in seeing within the base, the rest was relatively easy. From room to room he searched, his mind traveling far faster than anyone could by foot. In a matter of minutes, he knew that they were not going to find their answer there.

"He's not there," he told his teammates. "There was one Goa'uld, but he was just a scientist. So whoever it is that took Anubis' place, he's not there."

"Then I guess this means that we need to gather some intel on where he might be," Sam said. "That was the deal we made."

"We can gather the intel, Sam, but I don't know if it will do us much good. It took quite a while for me to see the base, and it was just sitting there. To try and find a single individual amidst dozens of rapidly moving ships is going to be a lot harder, and we'd have to be right around the same distance from them to be safe. I'm not saying that it's impossible, but I can't give any guarantees."

"No one is asking for guarantees, Daniel, definitely not me. The fact remains, though, that our orders are to continue to the next part of the mission."

Daniel nodded. "So, I guess it's on to Albaren, then."

What they learned on Albaren was pretty surprising. Amaterasu and Lord Yu had joined forces in a concerted effort to defeat the one controlling Anubis' armies, and their first target was the very place that SG-1 had just come from: Tartarus.

"They are on their way there as we speak," said the Jaffa the teammates were talking to.

Thanking him for the information, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c headed back toward the Al'Kesh.

"Do you realize that, if we'd gone just a few hours later, we'd have flown right into the middle of that battle?" Sam said.

Daniel's expression was thoughtful. "Sam, this might work in our favor."

"How so?"

"Well, if the battle had been taking place out in open space, we'd have had to stay far enough away to be out of the line of fire, but in a solar system. . . ."

Sam smiled, knowing where he was going. "There would be planets to hide on."

"The fifth planet of that solar system is a rocky, airless world with no life," Teal'c said.

"We could fly in, head straight for the planet, take shelter in one of the impact craters, and let Daniel do his thing."

Daniel nodded. "And being right there in the midst of the battle will make it a whole lot easier for me to see things. We might actually be able to do this."

"But that planet is well within the range of the sensors on Tartarus," Teal'c pointed out.

"Which means that we're going to have to wait for the fight to begin before we make our move. Once the fighting starts, those sensors are going to be way too busy to notice us."

Sam thought about the danger of flying into the midst of the battle. "You know, we wouldn't have to do this. We could stay outside the battle zone and see if you can do it from there. That's all our orders require that we do. I say that we try that first, then, if you don't succeed, we'll decide what to do then."

The others agreed, and Teal'c took the ship back to Tartarus.

They exited hyperspace much farther out this time, far enough that there would be no danger of running afoul of the attacking ships.

Sam looked at the screen. "It's all quiet so far. We must have beaten them here. Wait a minute. There they are! A big fleet just dropped out of hyperspace. It's approaching the planet. That's strange. I don't see any ships coming to intercept them."

Daniel abruptly stiffened. "Sam, something's happening."

Seconds after Daniel spoke those words, dozens more ships suddenly appeared on the screen, surrounding the enemy fleet.

"It's a trap!" Sam cried. "Anubis' ships must have been lying in wait somewhere."

The battle was instantly underway. As it raged, Daniel reached out with his mind and attempted to see the face of the one who had taken over Anubis' armies and was, at that very moment, using them to fight two of his fellow Goa'uld. Flashes came to Daniel, mixed up images of ships, and explosions and death, but it was too much and going too fast for him to find what he was looking for.

He opened his eyes and shook his head. "It's no use. I can't lock onto any one ship."

Sam looked at him closely. "Do you think you could if you were on that planet?"

"I can't say for sure, but, yes, I think so."

"Then we need to make a decision. Do we end our mission and go home or do we try to achieve our objective?"

Daniel didn't respond. He was staring out the window in the direction of the battle.

Sam touched his arm. "Daniel?"

The archeologist turned to her. "What? Oh. I'm sorry."

"You seem troubled, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c remarked.

"Yeah. Though I didn't really see much of anything, I now have a feeling that I didn't before."

"What feeling?" Sam asked.

"I think we need to know who that person is, Sam."

"Then we must do all we can to gain that knowledge," Teal'c responded.

The two men focused their attention fully on the leader of SG-1.

"What do _you_ say, Sam?" Daniel asked.

"That I guess we're going to be getting a whole lot closer to the action." She settled in the co-pilot's seat. "Let's do this."

It did not take long to get close enough to the fight to see it with the naked eye. The blasted remains of countless ships were already scattered about. Still more ships were on fire. And amidst them all, other ships were locked in mortal combat.

As they entered the battle zone, Teal'c and Sam had to keep a close eye on the sensors and what was outside the window. Even a small piece of debris could cause significant damage at the speed they were traveling. It turned out that Daniel's senses were equally as good as the sensors, and he helped guide Teal'c.

The closer they got, the worse it became, and they were all relieved when they finally reached their destination. Teal'c took the Al'Kesh into one of the deepest craters of the dead planet and came to a landing, keeping the ship cloaked just in case.

As Sam and Teal'c looked on, Daniel closed his eyes and cast his senses outward. All around them ships were battling furiously, weapons fire lighting the darkness of space. Invisible and untouchable, Daniel's mind sought one ship in particular, the one he knew would contain the person who controlled the forces of Anubis. Being so much closer now, it didn't take long to find it. Bigger than the rest, the mothership sat like a general overseeing its troops.

Daniel's mental sight penetrated the hull and started its next search, but he had barely begun when he quite suddenly sensed something, something he had not been prepared for – something that sensed _him_.

With a gasp, Daniel withdrew. His eyes flew open.

"It's Anubis!"

"What?!" Sam cried. "But how is that possible?"

"I don't know, but it is him. I didn't have to see him, I _felt_ him." Daniel turned to the astrophysicist. "Sam, he sensed me, too. He knows I'm here, and he _will_ come after us. We have to get out of here!"

Not waiting to be told, Teal'c flew out of the crater, intent upon getting them away from there as quickly as possible.

They had barely cleared the planet's surface, however, when disaster struck. A nearby mothership opened up on several attacking ships, and one of the shots hit SG-1's ship.

"We are losing power," Teal'c said as he fought the controls. "The hyperdrive is no longer functional, and the cloak is failing."

"Get us back down on the planet!" Sam ordered.

Their descent was closer to a crash than a landing, but, thankfully, the hull remained intact.

"Teal'c, how bad is it?" Sam asked.

"The outer hull is damaged, but does not appear to be in danger of breaching. We have lost power to many of the systems, but life support is intact."

Sam came up and began scanning the damage reports. "Well, it's bad, but I think it's fixable. Fortunately, we've got space suits onboard, so we can go out and make repairs."

Daniel was not looking at her. Instead, his gaze was focused outside. "Sam, we're not going to have time. Yu and Amaterasu are losing the fight. It's not going to be long before the battle is over. After that, Anubis will start hunting for us, hunting for _me_. And, if he finds us. . . ." Daniel turned to Sam, meeting her eyes. "He'll try to take me as a host, Sam. He'll force me to use my abilities until I'm too tired to fight him, then he'll take me." His gaze intensified. "We can't let that happen."

Sam knew what he was saying, what they were going to have to do. They could not let Anubis find anything except dead bodies.

"We could . . . open the hatch," she said quietly. "That would do it."

"Anubis would be able to revive us with a sarcophagus," Teal'c pointed out. "We must make sure that will not be possible."

"I could . . . I could blow up the ship," Daniel said, just the thought making him sick.

"God, no, Daniel," Sam responded. "I couldn't let you do that." Her expression firmed. "I'll rig the engines to explode."

She walked away, intent upon the task that would end all of their lives.

* * *

Yes, I know. I'm a mean, mean person for leaving you hanging like that. :-D But I promise that you won't have to wait more than a few days to find out what happens. 


	47. Chapter 47

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Daniel sat down beside Sam where she worked on some wires. None of them had spoken since the fateful decision had been made.

"Sam," he murmured.

She turned to him. The moment their eyes met, hers filled with the grief inside her heart.

"I don't want to do this, Daniel," she said. "I don't want it to end like this."

"I know. I don't want it to either. I wish there was another way. If there was any way that I thought we could get away from Anubis once he captured us, I'd take the chance, but the first thing he'd probably do was knock me unconscious. Once I was out, I wouldn't be able to prevent him from probing yours and Teal'c's minds and getting all the information about the location of the Alpha Site, about the weapon we have against the supersoldiers, the Jaffa rebellion and so many other things. He might even choose to take me as a host while I was still unconscious. And the thought of what he'd do to you and Teal'c using my mind and body. . . ." Daniel shook his head. "I can't let that happen."

"I know, Daniel. I know this is what we have to do. This isn't the first time we all thought that we where going to die, but it seems like we're dying for nothing this time. We didn't save anything, we didn't accomplish anything. The information we learned is going to die with us." Her eyes looked into his. "And it's so much different now. There's so much more to live for."

Daniel pulled her into a tight hug, unable to speak. He had wanted to grow old with her, to have children with her, to someday look back on the years and be happy with what they'd brought. The only consolation was that they were going to be together in the end. He wished so much that Sam wasn't going to die, too, but if they both had to die, then better it be together.

"Are communications still working?" he asked. "Could we send a transmission to Earth, tell them what we found out?"

Sam pulled away a bit, swiping a finger across her eyes.

"Maybe, although it's possible that Anubis will pick up the transmission and trace our whereabouts."

"Then we'd have to send it just before . . . you know."

Sam nodded. "I'll check to see if we can still broadcast."

It turned out that the communication system was still functioning.

"If we send a message, would they try to reply?" Daniel asked.

"Well, technically, they could. Since the Asgard technology was integrated into our communication systems at the SGC, we've had the ability to transmit through subspace in the same way this ship can."

Daniel paused before saying the next words. "Then I think it needs to be a recorded message, Sam, and it needs to be sent just before the ship blows."

Sam met his eyes in understanding. If they gave the SGC time to respond, Jack might order them to hold off on blowing up the ship, and they couldn't hold off.

The astrophysicist nodded. "I'll make a recording and program the system to send it just a few seconds before the engines go critical."

Daniel's sad eyes looked into hers. "I can do the message."

"No, Daniel. I'm the team leader. It's my responsibility to do it."

She walked away, dreading the new task that now lay before her.

Throughout the message, Sam managed to remain professional and factual, but it was still hard to speak the words, knowing how Jack was going to react when he heard them.

Sam then got back to work on the engines. A few minutes later, she was done. She joined Teal'c and Daniel.

"I've rigged the engines to overload," she told them. "If I just had another hour or two, I could probably have gotten power restored to the systems, and we could have flown out of here."

"We don't have that much time," Daniel told her quietly.

Sam sighed and nodded. "Once the overload starts, we'll have two minutes before the engines go critical."

Teal'c gazed at his teammates. "I have known no greater honor than these years that I have fought at your side, my friends."

"We feel the same, Teal'c," Daniel said. Tear-bright eyes met Sam's. "I love you, Sam."

She grabbed his hand, trying to convey all her feelings in her eyes. "And I love you."

Daniel swallowed the painful lump in his throat. "Let's do it."

Hesitating a moment, Sam pressed the icon on the control panel that would begin the overload. She felt Daniel's arms come around her from behind. She turned in his embrace and held onto him tightly, closing her eyes.

Teal'c looked at the lovers, his heart filled with sorrow, not over his own impending death but of theirs. There was also the sorrow that the power Daniel Jackson possessed would now be lost to the galaxy and the fight against the Goa'uld. Today was a day that would bring sorrow to all Jaffa seeking freedom.

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Jack doodled on the pad upon his desk. He was starting to get a little worried. They'd heard nothing from SG-1. The general knew that, if the team had continued to the second part of the mission, it might take a while to gather the needed intel, but he still wished that they'd call and let him know what was going on.

"General O'Neill, we just received an encoded transmission from SG-1," Walter said over the intercom. "It's an audio only recorded message."

"I'll be right there."

Jack hurried to the control room. "Play the message."

"Stargate Command, this is Colonel Carter. We've discovered that Anubis himself is in control of his forces. We have no other information regarding this."

"Damn!" Jack cursed. "Why can't we get rid of that guy?"

"I regret to inform you that, in gaining this information, our ship sustained major damage and can no longer fly," Sam's voice said, making Jack's gut tighten, a terrible feeling building inside. "We managed to put it down on one of the uninhabitable planets in the solar system, but Anubis is aware of our presence and will begin looking for us soon. If he captures us, not only will he learn things that could threaten Earth and its allies, he will also likely succeed in making Daniel a host. We cannot allow that to happen, so . . . so I am rigging the ship's engines to explode. I've programmed this message to transmit just before the engines go critical. By the time you receive it, we will be dead."

_'God, no,'_ Jack silently gasped.

"I want to say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve my country and Stargate Command," Sam concluded. "I know that Daniel and Teal'c feel the same." There was a brief pause. "End message."

The control room was utterly silent, everyone stunned and horrified by what they'd just heard. Jack stood frozen in place for long seconds, unable to believe that it could be true.

"Call them," he said in a rough voice.

"Sir?" Walter questioned.

"Call the Al'Kesh."

"But . . . but, sir, the recording said—"

"I know what it said, but something could have happened. Just . . . just try." Jack's voice broke slightly. "Just try."

"Yes, sir." The sergeant turned back to his console.

Unable to stay there a moment longer, Jack quickly left the room and went to his office, closing and locking the door behind him. Slowly, he sat down, rested his elbows on the desk, and dropped his head into his hands.

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It had been nearly two hours since the SGC received the message from SG-1, and the entire base was reeling from the news. Janet had fled to her office and was crying. She was not the only one. The cloud of mourning was heavy in the air, on nearly every face.

As for Jack, he hadn't left his office in all that time, and no one had the heart or the desire to disturb him. All attempts to contact SG-1 had failed.

A big part of Jack still could not believe it, couldn't accept that Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were dead. A voice inside his head kept crying out that it couldn't be true, that they _had_ to be alive. But Sam was too good at what she did to have failed to get the engines to explode. The only way that SG-1 could still be alive was if Anubis captured them before the ship blew. In that case, they'd be far better off if they _were_ dead. The thought of what Anubis would do to them, especially to Daniel, was even worse than thinking of them as dead.

Jack's gaze went to one of the pictures that sat in his office. It was only a few months old, having been taken during Daniel's last birthday party. Jack had given Sam a very nice digital camera for her last birthday, and she'd used it at Daniel's party to take lots of pictures of all of them. The picture in Jack's office was of all four of them, taken using the timer. They were all smiling, arms draped over each other's shoulders, Sam's and Daniel's heads leaning in toward each other, touching.

Jack felt tears burning his eyes. "Damn," he whispered, quickly wiping away the moisture. He couldn't lose it now. He had to maintain appearances. But later, when he was all alone at home, then the tears would come – followed by at least half a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Clearing his throat, Jack picked up the phone. There was a call he had make, one he really didn't want to. General Hammond needed to be told the news.

He was hitting the first button when the gate began to dial, followed immediately by the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation. Jack looked at the clock. None of the off-world teams were due back any time soon. Had some other terrible event taken place?

Though he knew it was wishful thinking, Jack couldn't stop the flame of hope that lit within him, the hope that, somehow, it was SG-1. He went down to the control room, ignoring the looks of sympathy he was give.

The wormhole established with its usual violence. Jack looked down at Walter Harriman.

"Receiving IDC, sir," the sergeant said. He then gave a little gasp, shock on his face. "Sir, it's SG-1!"

Jack dove for the microphone. "This is General O'Neill. SG-1, is that really you?"

"It's really us, Jack," answered the very familiar voice of Daniel Jackson.

"We're alive, sir," Sam said, a smile in her voice.

It took all of Jack's control not to let out a loud whoop of joy. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. So, care to tell me how it's possible?"

"Well, we sort of got rescued," Daniel replied.

"By whom?"

"Yu."

"Me?"

"No, not _you_ you, _Lord_ Yu."

Jack was rendered speechless for a moment. "You got rescued by a Goa'uld?"

"In a way. We'll explain it all later. He dropped us off on a planet with a gate, and we're very ready to come home. It's been a pretty rough mission."

Jack wanted nothing more than to tell them to come right through, but there was the question of whether or not they were who they said they were.

"Um, Daniel, I'd love to say come on home, but the last message we got from you said that Anubis knew about you being there and would be searching for you."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess you have to consider that we might not exactly be us anymore."

"What do you suggest, sir?" Sam asked. "Blood tests would prove that none of us are being possessed by Anubis, but they wouldn't detect the presence of a regular symbiote."

Jack thought about the problem for a moment. "We'll send someone through to get blood from all of you and search you for hidden weapons. If the tests come back clean, then you can come on through. We'll have to keep you under guard until you get your MRIs."

"Yes, sir. We understand."

Sam gave them the gate address of the planet they were on. After the gate shut down, Jack instructed Walter to tell SG-5 to start getting suited up for a mission. Then he strode out of the control room and went to the infirmary. Not seeing Janet, he went to her office, not thinking to knock before entering. He was dismayed by the grief on her face, the reddened eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, and, for an irrational moment, he wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close.

Seeing him, Janet jumped to her feet, hastily wiping her face. "Sir, I—"

Jack didn't let her finish. "They're alive, Janet."

The doctor blinked, her face blank. "W-what?"

Jack smiled. "They're alive. They just dialed in. According to them, Lord Yu rescued them."

Janet's mouth opened in surprise. And then the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face brightened it like the sun breaking through clouds. She laughed.

"I should have known," she said. "I should have known that, somehow, they made it out alive."

Jack laughed, too. "Yeah, we _all_ should have known. My gut was trying to tell me that they weren't dead, but I wasn't listening well enough." He lost his smile. "But we have to make sure that they haven't been compromised. There's the chance that they've been in Anubis' hands and that one of them _is_ Anubis. Someone needs to go to the planet and get blood samples."

"I'll do it," Janet instantly said.

"You could send someone else, you know."

The doctor shook her head. "Sir, I need to be the one to do it. I need to. . . ."

"Look at their faces and see that they really are alive?"

"Yes, sir."

Jack nodded, wishing he could go with her. "Okay. Get what you need and come to the gate room. You'll be going through with SG-5."

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When Janet exited the gate and saw Daniel, Sam and Teal'c, she wanted so badly to run up to them and hug them all, but, instead, she remained professional and approached with the same caution as the members of SG-5. She noted that all of the team's weapons were trained directly on Daniel. They knew, as did she, that, if Anubis took one of them as a host, it would have been Daniel, and he was by far the most dangerous of the three.

Sam smiled. "Janet. I didn't think it would be you coming through."

"I volunteered. Okay, roll up your sleeves."

They did as she asked, and she drew the vials of blood.

"I'll process these as quickly as possible," the doctor said.

"We're not going anywhere," Daniel responded. He looked over his shoulder at some dark clouds on the horizon. "Although it would be nice to get home before we get rained on."

Janet went back through the gate alone, SG-5 remaining behind to keep SG-1 under guard.

"Well?" Jack inquired. He'd been waiting in the gate room.

"It looks like them, sir," Janet replied, "and they act like themselves, but you know that doesn't mean anything. I need to get this blood to the lab." She hurried off.

Too keyed up to remain in one place, Jack began to pace. He went to the control room and paced some more. He then went to his office and did still more pacing. He was just about to call the infirmary when the phone rang. He snatched it up.

"The samples are clean, sir," Janet announced. "Anubis is not within any of them."

"Thanks, Doc."

Jack wasted no time in going to the control room.

"Dial up SG-1," he said. "They're coming home."

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The three members of the Stargate Program's premier team took seats at the briefing room table. Not long ago, they'd all gone through the process of an MRI under the watchful gaze of SG-5, who hadn't left them from the moment they got back to Earth. It wasn't normal for SG teams returning from a mission to be put under guard like that, but all three of them knew that the circumstances warranted it.

Jack exited his office and took the seat at the head of the table.

"I just got off the phone with Hammond. He wasn't happy to hear about Anubis, but he's delighted that you guys pulled another rabbit out of your hat and made it home alive. He's eager to read the report . . . but not as eager as _I_ am to _hear_ it." Jack gestured at them. "So, please. I'm all ears."

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c started at the beginning, explaining what happened at Tartarus and their subsequent trip to Albaren, leading to the return to Tartarus' solar system.

"We took up a position well out of the battle zone," Sam said.

Daniel took over the narrative. "But I couldn't see what we were after. We were too far away, and everything was moving too fast. If I'd kept trying, I'd probably only have ended up with a headache. There was something that I did sense, though. I got the strong feeling that it was really important for us to find out who was in control of Anubis' forces."

Sam resumed speaking. "After we found out that there was likely going to be a battle at Tartarus, we realized that it could be to our advantage. It would be possible for us to hide out on one of the planets in the solar system as the battle was fought. In that way, we'd be a lot closer to the ships, giving Daniel a greater chance of seeing what we were going there for. When Daniel failed to succeed from our position outside the battle zone, we decided to go in." The lieutenant colonel paused. "General, I want to say that, though we all agreed to this, as team leader, I had the final decision. I know now that we should have just left. Going in was too dangerous. I risked all our lives and almost—"

The voices of two men interrupted her, Daniel's, "Sam," and Jack's, "Carter." The archeologist let the general be the one to continue.

"Carter, you took what you thought was an acceptable risk, and you did it for a good reason. To ignore it when Daniel has a feeling about something is nothing short of idiotic, and you are most definitely not an idiot. If I'd been in your place, I'd probably have made the same decision. And, as it turned out, Daniel was right . . . again. Knowing that it's Anubis out there really changes the picture. It means that we really have to be on our guard since he most definitely does not have any fond feelings for Earth or any of us. You can bet that we're high on his list of targets. We all have twenty/twenty hindsight, Carter, and can look at things afterwards and think we should have done something differently, but you made the right call."

Sam's gaze was turned downward. "Yes, sir," she said, lifting her head.

"Continue."

"Once we were on the planet, it was pretty easy for me to find the right ship," Daniel said. "I'd barely gotten inside, though, when I sensed Anubis. There was no mistaking that presence. The problem was that he somehow sensed me as well. I knew that he'd come after us and that, if we were caught, he wouldn't stop until he'd taken me as a host."

"We departed the planet," Teal'c told Jack, "but were struck by weapons fire from a mothership. I was unable to maintain control of the craft, and it no longer had the ability to enter hyperspace."

"We crashed on the planet we'd just left," Sam explained. "If I'd had the time, I probably could have gotten the ship back up and running."

"But we didn't have that much time," Daniel said. "I knew that Anubis would find us long before we could get out of there." He looked at his teammates. "That's when we decided to blow up the Al'Kesh with us in it."

"We fully expected to die, sir. What happened next was pure luck."

_They were almost thirty seconds into the countdown that would end with their deaths. Sam was glad that there was no voice counting off the seconds. It was bad enough that they were counting off in her head. _

_Suddenly, Daniel stiffened in Sam's arms. He pulled away from her and dove for the communication controls. _

_"This is Doctor Daniel Jackson of SG-1," he announced. "I'm trapped onboard a damaged Al'Kesh with Samantha Carter and Teal'c. We're on the fifth planet in the solar system, and our ship is about to explode." _

_"Daniel, what are you doing?!" Sam cried, thinking he'd taken leave of his senses. _

_Daniel didn't answer her. Instead, he kept broadcasting. "Lord Yu, we have valuable information about the forces of Anubis, information we will give to you in exchange for our lives. But we will be dead very soon if you don't come get us. We'll be waiting on the ring platform." _

_The archeologist turned to his teammates. _

_"I do not know if what you have done is wise," Teal'c stated. _

_Sam agreed. "Daniel, what if Yu finds out that you're Dan'yar?" _

_"If that happens, I can do something to make sure that he can't take advantage of the knowledge. But at least we'll have hope, Sam." _

_They hurried to the ring platform and waited as the seconds counted down. There was around ten seconds remaining when Sam said, "He's not going to get us." _

_Two seconds after that, the rings activated. And then they found themselves on Yu's ship, surrounded by Jaffa. _

_"Cutting it kind of close, weren't you?" Daniel said to the Jaffa, sounding an awful lot like Jack. _

_"Silence, human," one of the men ordered. "We will take you to Lord Yu so that he can decide your fate." _

_At that moment the ship jumped into hyperspace. Every member of SG-1 breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they were safe from Anubis. _

_They were led out of the room and marched down a corridor. _

_'Sam, if things turn ugly, I'm not sure what I'll have to do,' Daniel said to the astrophysicist mind to mind. 'If it had been Amaterasu instead of Yu, I'd know that there would be trouble, but I'm hoping that we'll fare a lot better with Yu.' _

_'How did you know it was him? Did you see him?' _

_'Yeah. He was retreating, and his ship was nearing the planet. I decided it was worth the chance since the alternative was to just sit there and be blown up. Let's just hope that Yu hasn't gotten so senile that he can't be reasoned with. Just follow my lead, okay?' _

_They were taken to the chamber that acted as a sort of throne room. Lord Yu sat upon the throne, his First Prime, Oshu, at his side. _

_The Goa'uld rose to his feet and approached them, studying them narrowly. _

_"For what reason were you in that place?" he asked. _

_"We were there trying to learn the identity of the one who controls Anubis' forces," Daniel replied. _

_"And did you succeed?" _

_"Yes. We'll tell you what we know in exchange for being set free on a planet with a working Stargate." _

_Yu stared at him haughtily. "What would prevent me from taking that information from you by force?" _

_"Our people have never targeted you, Lord Yu. We've never attacked anything within your territories. In fact, there have been times when we've helped you. We were the ones who told you where to find Baal's fortress, and you succeeded in destroying it, dealing a heavy blow to an enemy. All I'm asking is that you let the three of us go free in exchange for information that would help you. We have a common enemy, the forces that you just battled against. You and Earth may not exactly be allies, but we are on the same side in that fight." _

_Yu walked away several paces. He motioned to Oshu, who joined him. They spoke in low voices for a moment, then Yu walked out of the room. _

_Oshu turned to SG-1. "My master wishes to consider your request." He addressed one of the other Jaffa. "Take them to a cell, but treat them well. Do not harm them." _

_The teammates were taken to a cell and left alone. _

_"So, do you think he'll go for it?" Sam asked. _

_"Well, he's let Teal'c go free in the past because it was a matter of honor. Teal'c had gone to him freely, not as an enemy. We aren't here as his enemy either. We're not seeking to do him any harm. On the contrary, we're both fighting a common foe." _

_"I believe that Daniel Jackson is correct," Teal'c said. "Lord Yu could have kept me prisoner, but, instead, he allowed me to go free and did me no harm. If there is a Goa'uld who can be called honorable, it is he." _

_They'd been in the cell for over an hour and a half when Oshu came. _

_"My master will speak to you now," he said. _

_He took them back to the throne room. Yu remained seated this time. _

_"I agree to your request," he stated. "This ship will take you to a world with a Stargate. Now you will tell me what you have learned about the one who controls the forces of Anubis." _

_Daniel exchanged a glance with his teammates. "It's Anubis himself," he said. "I can only guess that he somehow got off the planet we stranded him on. It might not have been him all this time. There could have been someone else in control at least for a while, but it's Anubis now." _

_Yu stood and paced the room slowly. "You are certain of this?" _

_"Positive." _

_The Goa'uld looked at Daniel. "This information is of great value. Knowing that it is Anubis himself changes much." _

_Just then, the ship exited hyperspace. _

_A Jaffa came into the room. "Lord Yu, we have arrived at the planet you commanded us to go to." _

_"Take these three and send them down to the planet." _

_The Jaffa bowed his head. "Yes, Lord Yu." _

_Oshu accompanied SG-1 and the Jaffa to the ring platform. _

_"For my master I thank you for the information you gave us," he said once they'd arrived. "We had hoped that Anubis would never again trouble us, but knowing that it is him will help us in this fight." _

_Daniel nodded once. "Thank Lord Yu for setting us free." _

_Oshu lifted his chin. "My master is a man of honor, and the words you spoke before are true. Your people have aided us, and, though you are an enemy of the Goa'uld. you have never aimed an attack against what belongs to Lord Yu. Farewell. I wish you good fortune in your fight against our common enemy, Anubis." _

_"The same wish we express to you," Teal'c declared, bowing his head. _

"They ringed us down to a spot not far from the gate," Daniel said, "and we called you. And that's it."

Jack was silent for a few moments, thinking about how very close his former teammates had come to dying. Eight more seconds. Just eight more seconds and they'd have been dead. It wasn't the first time things had been cut that close, but it still made him shudder to think of it.

"So, no more Al'Kesh, huh?" he said.

"No, sir," Sam replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to _me_, Carter. I'm sure there is more than one person who isn't going to be happy about losing that ship, but it doesn't really make _me_ cry. You wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place if we hadn't still had that ship. We don't need it anymore. We've got the Prometheus. Besides, you guys found us a brand new toy, that time-traveling puddle jumper, so maybe the brass won't be so upset after all." Jack leaned back in his chair. "So, tell me. Do any of you have any idea how Anubis could have gotten off popsicle planet?"

"We talked about that while we were in the cell, sir," Sam replied. "The only thing we came up with is that a ship went there. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Jack shook his head. "We just can't seem to get rid of that guy, can we. He reminds me of Apophis. Look how many times we thought _he_ was out of the picture only to find out that he wasn't."

"But Apophis at last met his fate," Teal'c said, "and I believe that the day will come when Anubis is no more."

Daniel frowned. "There's one big difference with Anubis, though. He's not mortal. The only ones who can really destroy him are the Ascended, and, obviously, they're not going to do it."

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The members of SG-1 could have no doubt that everyone on the base was happy that they were alive. People kept smiling at them. Even Teal'c received some smiles.

They all had a very late lunch in the commissary, and Janet joined them. Once the doctor had confirmed that none of them were carrying symbiotes, she'd given both Sam and Daniel big hugs and Teal'c a littler one, telling them how hard it had hit her when she'd thought they were all dead. Now, she felt the need to spend some time with them.

"Janet, you didn't call Cassie and tell her about our presumed deaths, did you?" Sam asked.

"No, thank goodness. I'd have waited till I got home tonight to tell her. I don't think I'll ever tell her how close you came to being killed. She doesn't need to know that, and it'll just freak her out. She'll be heading off to school in only a month, so she definitely doesn't need to be thinking about you guys dying."

Sam smiled. "So, is she getting all excited?"

"Excited doesn't even come close. Two of her friends are also going to UCLA, so she's already thinking about all the fun the three of them are going to have. I've told her not to forget that she isn't going to college to have fun." Janet sighed. "I'm going to miss her terribly. The house will feel so empty without her."

Sam touched Janet's arm comfortingly. She knew how much her friend had been dreading the day Cassie went off to college.

"We should have a get-together before she leaves," Daniel said.

Sam smiled. "Yeah, a going off to college party. We'll have to start planning it."

Janet looked at the three people sitting with her at the table. "I'm just really glad that you're all alive to see her go to college."

* * *

See? You didn't have to wait too terribly long for this chapter, did you. From now on, I plan to post two chapters a week. Why you may ask? Because (drum roll, please) I have at last completed this fanfic. I finished writing the last chapter on the weekend. So, I can tell you now that there are just 10 more chapters (perhaps 9 for the Gen version) and an epilogue to go before this fic and the What You Already Know series come to an end. 


	48. Chapter 48

IMPORTANT NOTE: These events are happening over three weeks sooner than the events of Reckoning occurred in the timeline of the TV series, or, rather, the date I put Reckoning as happening.

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CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

For a change, the SGC was able to get in touch with the Tok'ra right away. Apparently, they'd been anxiously awaiting what intel SG-1 obtained. They were disturbed by the news that Anubis was back in the game. The next off-world allies to be contacted were the rebel Jaffa, who were also alarmed by the news.

It was three days later that Daniel woke up with a bad feeling. He knew this feeling, was, unfortunately, quite familiar with it.

"Something is going to happen," he told Jack and his teammates that morning in his office.

Jack looked at him sharply. "As in. . . ."

"Something very bad."

"Can you be a little more specific?"

"Not at this time. I haven't attempted to take a peek into the future yet. But. . . ."

"But what?" Sam asked.

He met her eyes. "It's never been this strong before, Sam, not even before Anubis attacked Earth. Whatever it is that I'm sensing, it's really bad, bad enough that it's got me . . . a little scared."

Daniel's confession deeply disturbed everyone in the room. If this was bad enough to scare Daniel, then it must be bad on a galactic scale.

"Do you think it has something to do with Anubis?" Jack asked him.

"It might. That would be my first guess. But it's just a guess at this point."

"Well, I'm thinking that you might want to go poking your nose into the future and take a look-see."

Daniel nodded. Though he knew Jack was right, he was afraid to look, afraid of what horrible things he might see. But they needed to know what lay on the horizon.

Daniel was in the process of preparing to take a look into the future when the warning lights out in the hall started flashing, and the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation came over the speakers.

"Now, why do I get the feeling this has something to do with your bad feeling?" Jack said.

They all hurried to the control room, arriving just as the wormhole established.

"Receiving IDC, General," the technician said. "It's Master Bra'tac's code, sir."

"Open the iris," Jack ordered as Teal'c, Sam and Daniel headed for the gate room.

A moment later, Bra'tac came through. He greeted the three members of SG-1.

"I bring grave news about the rebellion," he said.

They all went up to the briefing room, where Jack joined them.

"The news that Anubis has returned has shaken the confidence of many in the rebel movement," the Master Jaffa said. "Unlike the other Goa'uld, Anubis is truly immortal, a being who cannot be killed. His escape and return to power have convinced some that he is also unconquerable," Bra'tac glanced at Daniel, "even by Dan'yar. The defeat of Lord Yu's and Amaterasu's combined forces has strengthened this belief. For every Kull Warrior of his that falls, many more take its place. Many Jaffa do not know how we can possibly win against him. There is talk of abandoning the fight." Bra'tac noted the severe frown on Teal'c's face. "I cannot say that I do not understand their emotions, Teal'c. With his return, Anubis had proven himself to be an enemy that cannot be defeated for long."

"Okay, so the Jaffa need a morale boost," Jack said. He looked around the table. "Any ideas? Do you think it would do any good for Daniel to talk to them?"

"That I do not know," Bra'tac replied.

"There is one thing that may strengthen the faith and confidence of the Jaffa," Teal'c replied.

"Which is?" Jack asked.

"We must capture the temple at Dakara."

Bra'tac was clearly shocked. Seeing the expression, Teal'c stated, "Everything we have fought for hangs in the balance."

"Yes, but Dakara?"

"Capture it, and we will show that even Anubis' power can be weakened."

"Okay, what is Dakara?" Jack asked. "What makes it so special?"

"The temple at Dakara is sacred to all Jaffa," Teal'c replied.

"It is rich in historical significance," Bra'tac said. "Legend tells it is the place where Anubis rose from the dead."

"It is also the site of the first Prim'ta ritual."

"It is that rite of passage that has bonded us in servitude ever since. For thousands of years, the Jaffa have viewed Dakara as the holiest of sites, the very cradle of our existence. It is the place where the Goa'uld first gave Jaffa their strength and longevity."

"It's more than that," Daniel said, frowning. Everyone turned to him. "That temple was built by the Ancients. Inside it is a device they used to recreate life in this galaxy after the plague decimated everything."

Daniel's announcement stunned everyone.

"Daniel, how do you know that?" Sam asked.

"The moment Bra'tac said the word Dakara, I just knew. I think it came from the Ancient knowledge in my subconscious." Daniel looked at everyone intently. "That device is the single most powerful piece of technology in the entire galaxy. With it, all corporeal life in this galaxy could be wiped out, made nonexistent."

"My God."

Daniel started to get excited. "But it could do something else as well. The settings on it can be changed, altered to affect different kinds of matter. I think that, if it was set right, it could kill Anubis' supersoldiers. Any within range of its effect would be instantly destroyed."

"Whoa," said Jack. "Okay, that alone makes it something we really need to have control of. If we could put the thing on a ship and cart it around the galaxy, we could get rid of Anubis' entire army. True, he could eventually make more, but it would take him a long time to rebuild his forces, and we could just kill them all again."

Daniel shook his head. "It couldn't be put on a ship, Jack."

"Oh. Well, it was an idea."

"So, its effectiveness as a weapon would be limited to the region of Dakara," Sam said.

"It can't be," Daniel responded. "If the Ancients used it to reseed life in the whole galaxy, they had to have a way to spread its effect beyond Dakara."

"You're right. I have no idea how that was possible, though. One lone device couldn't possibly be powerful enough to seed the entire galaxy with new life." She frowned thoughtfully. "Unless. . . ."

"What are you thinking, Carter?" Jack asked.

"I'm thinking of what Baal did with the Avenger virus. He used the gate's automatic update program to disseminate the altered virus to the entire gate network. Now, if he could do that, it's possible that he could have figured out a way to dial every gate at once."

"But Baal is dead," Daniel pointed out.

"Yes, but the point is that it may be possible to dial all the gates at the same time. If we could do that and then activate the device, the energy wave would travel through the wormholes. Theoretically, the effect might cover the entire galaxy, depending on how far beyond a planet the energy will effectively travel."

"Still wondering how you're going to get a dead Goa'uld to tell us how to do it," Jack said. "Not that he would have anyway." He turned to Daniel. "You have all that Ancient stuff in your head. Somewhere in there has to be the knowledge of how to do this, if it can be done, that is."

"I'm sure it is in there somewhere, but how do I get to it? Maybe if we contacted Thor, he could do the same thing he did before, hook me up to his ship's computer so that I can use it to find the information."

Sam nodded. "That might work. We should also contact Atlantis and have them start searching the database. The information could be in there as well."

Jack gave a short nod. "All right, we'll call both of them and see who comes through for us first."

"We must not delay in capturing Dakara," Bra'tac said. "Every day that we delay will be a day that more Jaffa lose hope that we can win."

Jack studied the man. "There has to be a catch or you guys would have done this a long time ago."

"Dakara is deep within Anubis' territory, and, under normal circumstances, it is heavily guarded. However, with Anubis' attention turned to his battle against the other System Lords, it may be that the temple will not be so well guarded and will be more vulnerable to attack."

"But our success would still depend on the element of surprise and the use of the entire rebel fleet," Teal'c said.

O'Neill didn't like the sound of this. There were way too many 'maybes'.

Bra'tac leaned forward. "Listen to me, O'Neill. If the rebellion falls, all our hopes to defeat the Goa'uld will fall with it. We must act now before it is too late."

Jack looked around at everyone. "There's one thing that hasn't been answered. Let's say that we do capture Dakara and manage to hold onto it for more than five minutes. Does anyone know how to do whatever needs to be done to that thing to get it to kill supersoldiers and _only_ supersoldiers?"

"Well, obviously, I don't know yet how the device works, sir," Sam replied, "but the work we did on the weapons we devised from the Telchak device might be the key. If it's a matter of setting the thing to the correct energy wave frequency, I might be able to figure out the right one. I'm probably going to need help from the Tok'ra, though. They're the ones who did most of the research and work on that weapon."

"Then I guess we'll be putting in another call to them. Looks like the phone bill's gonna be a high one this month."

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The first "call" that was made was to the Asgard, everyone figuring that it might take them the longest to reply. The second call was to Atlantis. Doctor Weir was very concerned when she learned about what was happening and promised to put as many people as possible on the search for the needed information. The Tok'ra were then contacted again, which resulted in Jacob coming through a couple of hours later.

As all this was going on, Bra'tac and Teal'c were making arrangements to speak to a number of leaders in the Jaffa rebellion. Word had been sent out to meet on a remote planet that was not under the control of any Goa'uld. It was night on that world when the meeting took place. Bra'tac wasted no time revealing their plan to capture Dakara. It was met with reactions of surprise. Several of the Jaffa immediately expressed their doubts that it could be done.

"What you are proposing is madness," Aron declared. "Dakara cannot be taken."

Bra'tac's gaze went to a dark-skinned Jaffa of advanced age. "Tolok, you have not yet spoken. What are your thoughts?"

"Aron is right," the man said. "We would be sacrificing countless men and ships on a fruitless mission. We should be concentrating on finding ways to counter the threat of Anubis' Kull Warriors. Without them, he will be all but powerless."

Teal'c stepped forward. "Then it is vital that we take Dakara, for within the temple is a weapon that can destroy every one of his soldiers."

That made the other Jaffa all look at each other.

"This is the truth you speak?" Aron asked.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "This knowledge comes from Dan'yar himself, who holds the secrets of the Ancients, the ones who built the temple and the device within it."

"Yet what you propose is an impossible task."

"Perhaps not," Bra'tac responded. "Anubis has turned all his attention upon his war against the other System Lords. His forces are spread thin throughout the galaxy. If there has ever been a time when Dakara was vulnerable to attack, this is it. Now is the time to strike."

Tolok looked uncertain. "No free Jaffa has ever set foot in the temple and lived."

Teal'c looked right at him. "Then it will be a great victory when that happens. If we succeed, not only will we have the power to defeat Anubis, many more Jaffa will join us, and all those who are filled with doubt will regain their faith in our cause."

"_If_ we succeed," Aron said.

"I understand your concern, brother, but we must act now. If we do not, our children will know no future, let alone a taste of freedom."

Tolok focused a stare upon the former First Prime of Apophis. "Teal'c, I believe there is wisdom in what you say. However, you are aware that, if we fail, it would mean the end of the rebellion. Are you prepared to risk our entire cause on this one action?"

Bra'tac turned to look at Teal'c, as did everyone else.

"Indeed I am."

The other Jaffa exchanged glances.

"So, what say you?" Bra'tac asked.

Tolok's expression firmed. "I say we take Dakara."

Teal'c smiled slightly at the declaration.

Aron nodded briefly. "So be it."

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Once the decision had been made, it did not take long for the entire rebel fleet to be assembled. By the following day, every ship under their command had been gathered into an armada. Bra'tac insisted that it was thanks to Daniel that the number of ships was so great. If it had not been for all the Jaffa that came into the rebellion because of "Dan'yar", there would not be enough ships to even hope to take Dakara.

Aboard a scout ship with a cloaking device were Daniel, Sam and Jacob, who had a special role to play in the battle that was about to take place. The first part of that role would be determining the size of the fleet protecting the planet.

"Ready?" Jacob asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Sam replied.

Jacob contacted the mothership that Bra'tac and Teal'c were commanding.

"We're ready to go," he said.

"We will await your return," Teal'c responded.

Jacob activated the hyperdrive, and the ship leapt into hyperspace. Ten minutes later, it exited just outside the sensor range of any ships guarding Dakara. It was immediately cloaked and began approaching the system.

"We're in range now," Jacob said after several minutes. "I'm picking up some ships on the sensors. If what I'm picking up is all there is, the rebel fleet shouldn't have any trouble overcoming them." He turned to Daniel. "Are we close enough for you to see anything?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not easily. We should get closer."

They moved in close enough for Daniel to see if he could detect anything that the sensors could not.

"I don't see any ships in hiding," he said. "Except for a couple cargo ships and a handful of gliders, there aren't any on the planet. I can't be positive that there aren't any cloaked ships, but I don't think there are. Everything seems to be as it appears."

Jacob looked at him closely. "Then why are you frowning?"

"Because I still have that bad feeling I've had since yesterday."

"Do you think it has to do with this attack?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling that there's something we're not seeing, something we aren't aware of."

"So, do you think we should abort the attack?" Jacob asked.

Daniel stared in the direction of Dakara. He knew that, as Dan'yar, if he told the Jaffa to abort the attack, there was a chance that they'd heed him, but should the attack be aborted? Should they give up the opportunity to take control of that device? Daniel's sixth sense gave him the answer. Though he did not know what danger he was being warned about, he _did_ know that taking Dakara was absolutely vital.

"No. We need to get control of that planet, and we need to do it now."

Jacob nodded. "All right. Then I guess it's time to move on to the next part of the plan. Let's hope that this cloak is enough, and the sensors of those ships don't detect the energy emissions of our engines."

Jacob took the ship in much closer to the enemy fleet, close enough that he was feeling just a bit nervous.

"Is that close enough?" he finally asked Daniel.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay, then do your thing."

Daniel's eyes closed, his mind reaching out to the ships. But, this time, it was for a much different purpose. One by one, he psychically entered the ships and disabled their long-range communications systems, making it impossible for them to send a warning to Anubis once the battle began.

Daniel's eyes blinked opened. "It's done."

"You did it in a way that they won't detect until it's too late, right?" Jacob asked.

"Yes. That is unless one of those ships suddenly decides to call Anubis before the rebel fleet gets here."

"Too bad you couldn't knock out all their weapons while you were at it."

"I'm afraid that would pretty quickly overtax me. Besides, I wouldn't be able to do that in a way they wouldn't detect. I doubt I could do more than two or three ships before they figured out that something was going on and start looking for anything suspicious in the area."

Jacob nodded. "You're right, of course. Okay, let's get back to the fleet."

Taking the ship back out of the range of the enemy ships' sensors, Jacob reentered hyperspace and returned to the awaiting rebel fleet.

"What is the word, Dan'yar?" Bra'tac asked.

"Launch the attack," Daniel replied.

--------------------------------------------------

The battle was over. Though they had lost a couple ships, it was a resounding victory for the rebel forces. Fortunately, the garrison on the planet was made up mostly of Jaffa, with only a few Kull Warriors, so the fighting down on the surface hadn't lasted very long. The supersoldiers were all killed with the weapons that the SGC had supplied, the remaining garrison surrendering quickly once Daniel got on the scene and performed some pyrotechnics. The Jaffa were assured that they would not be harmed and were taken to one of the ships.

"We are fortunate that there were so few Kull Warriors," Bra'tac said as he stood overlooking the temple.

"I guess it makes sense," Sam responded. "The Kull Warriors have such a short life-span that they'd constantly have to bring in new ones to replace the ones that died. Using Jaffa is more practical."

"I have to wonder how many Jaffa still serve Anubis," Daniel said. "I shouldn't think that there would be very many. What with the rebellion being so big now, Anubis would probably be leery of trusting any Jaffa. I didn't see any at all when I was searching Tartarus."

Bra'tac nodded. "I am not surprised. It is unlikely that Anubis has any Jaffa in positions that are close to him. He would fear that some would become spies for the rebellion. Any Jaffa remaining loyal to him were probably sent to watch over planets in his domain, just as these here were."

Daniel's eyes traveled up the towering mountain of rock that rose abruptly from the desert to loom over the temple. He knew that the Ancients had used their power to cut away one side of the mountain, shaping it to their purpose. They then scooped out the large, deep circular area that lay at the foot of the mountain. The main part of the temple complex was built against the sheer cliff walls of that artificial canyon, the ruins of still more structures scattered about the area above. The archeologist in him wanted to explore, but he couldn't afford the luxury. There was only one thing this temple held that he was here for, and it resided deep within the mountain that they now stood in the shadow of.

"Do you know where the device is, Daniel?" Sam asked him.

"Yes. It's here."

"Here? In this building?" She looked around. They were presently standing before a structure that sat within a wide cleft in the side of the mountain, at the top of a big staircase. It looked as if the building and the stairs had been carved out of the mountain.

"In there." Daniel pointed up at the peak. His gaze descended to the building. "Somewhere in there is the way in."

The others followed the archeologist into the building. He headed straight to the back wall, which was covered in Ancient text. There were five circular seams in the wall, some of them overlapping, and Daniel wondered about their purpose.

"It looks like a very old dialect," Jacob said.

Daniel nodded. "It is."

"Can you read it? You're much better with Ancient than I am."

Daniel's eyes scanned the text. "Yeah. It'll take a little bit of time to translate it all, though."

"We do not know when Anubis will discover what has occurred and send ships to take back the planet," Bra'tac said, "so I hope that you are able to work quickly."

As Teal'c, Bra'tac and most of the other Jaffa went off to explore the area, a few staying behind to keep guard, Sam and Jacob watched Daniel as he got busy on the translation. After a while, he began to frown.

"This doesn't make sense," he murmured.

"What doesn't?" Sam asked.

"Actually, a lot of it doesn't, like this passage here. 'Midday, the darkness is high in the sky.'"

Jacob gave him a look. "Are you sure that's what it says?"

"Positive." Daniel's eyebrows went up higher. "Uhhh . . . okay. Either the Ancient who wrote this had been partying a little too much or something else is going on." His finger pointed at a section of the script. "This here says, 'The wind blows on the pillow,' and that one says, 'Three days to the chicken.'"

Sam would have laughed at that last one if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"Are you saying this whole wall of writing is nonsense?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No, it can't be. Something's not. . . ." His voice trailed off as his head began to tilt sideways. He reached the point where he was nearly looking at the writing upside-down.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Jacob questioned.

The archeologist stepped closer to the wall, his finger coming to rest on one part of the inscription.

"If you turn this upside-down, it means 'sun' instead of 'darkness', which would make the passage read, 'Midday, the sun is high in the sky.'"

"Well, that would make a lot more sense, but that isn't what it says."

His gaze darting over the wall, Daniel suddenly realized what the purpose of the circles was. He put his hands on the one before him and turned it a full one hundred and eighty degrees.

"_Now_ it does," he said. "I think these circles are some kind of combination lock. If we turn them so that the text all makes sense, the wall might open. We just have to figure out which ones to turn." He studied another circle for a moment, then turned it. One by one, he went through the circles, determining which ones needed turning and which ones didn't. As he finished turning the last one that was previously set wrong, the ground began to shake. The Jaffa on guard came running into the building as Daniel, Jacob and Sam backed away a few feet.

"Let's hope that's not a bad sign," Sam said, brandished her weapon. She gestured for the approaching Jaffa to stop as she pointed her P-90 at the wall, which began to rise. Another wall behind it splitting open to reveal a darkened room.

"Nice going, Daniel," Jacob said.

Teal'c and Bra'tac came in.

"You have succeeded," the Master Jaffa said with satisfaction.

The five of them entered the chamber, the light of Sam's flashlight coming to rest upon a device that sat in the center of the room.

"We're in business," Sam said.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Sam, does this thing strike you as rather familiar?"

Sam studied it. "You're right. It looks a lot like the time device on P4X-639, the one that put us all in that time loop."

The archeologist nodded. "That one worked by setting the various panels at the correct height. This one probably works the same way."

"I'd say that moving each of these," Sam gestured at the panels, "adjusts the frequency of the energy wave that the device puts out."

"So, we just need to figure out how to set it to the right frequency," Jacob said. His eyes ran over the thing. "This could take a while."

Daniel reached out a hand and touched the device. A panel in the wall across the room slid open, revealing a viewscreen, Ancient text moving across it.

Jacob studied the text. "Daniel, correct me if I'm wrong, but, if I'm reading this screen right, the weapon uses an energy wave to reduce all matter to its basic molecular elements. It's not strong enough to disintegrate an entire planet, but it will wash away everything on a planet's surface and anything in the surrounding space."

"Yep, that's what it says," Daniel confirmed.

"Sounds pretty nasty," Sam said.

Just then, hers, Daniel's, and Teal'c's radios crackled to life.

"SG-1, this is Stargate Command. Come in."

"Carter here," Sam said into her radio.

"Carter, you guys need to get back here ASAP," Jack said. "Thor just arrived with some really bad news."

"What news?" Daniel asked.

"Well, it seems that our old friends the Replicators have somehow made themselves immune to that weapon you made, and what's worse is that they're starting to come here, to our galaxy."

The three members of SG-1 exchanged worried looks.

"We're on our way, sir," Sam said. She turned to her father. "Dad, you stay here and see if you can start figuring this thing out."

SG-1 quickly went to the Stargate and gated through to Earth. Thor was in the briefing room with Jack.

"I regret that I have come with such news," the Asgard said. "We discovered the ineffectiveness of the weapon some time ago. We have attempted to determine the reason for it, but, so far, have failed. We must learn precisely how the Replicators have made themselves immune if we hope to counter it."

"How can we help?" Sam asked.

"We must capture a Replicator."

That surprised everyone.

"And how do you propose to do that?" Jack inquired.

The Asgard turned to Daniel. "With Daniel Jackson's abilities. He has the capacity to hold a Replicator captive. Once it is immobilized, I can perform tests to determine how it is immune."

Daniel saw a problem with that. "Um, can't Replicators talk to each other? What would prevent the one we capture from sending out a distress call?"

"We must isolate a single Replicator ship that is at some distance from the others and destroy all but one of the Replicators onboard. It is my hope that we will learn the information we need before more Replicator ships arrive."

Jack wasn't liking the sound of this. "Thor, you know I love ya, but this plan of yours sounds awfully risky."

"I am afraid that I have no better plan, O'Neill," the Asgard responded. "If we cannot find a way to overcome this, both my galaxy and yours will be at risk from the Replicators."

"As if we didn't already have enough problems. All right. SG-1, go with Thor and get yourselves a Replicator, then get back here as soon as possible. Anubis isn't going to be in the dark about what's happening on Dakara forever. Oh, and, while you're at it, maybe Thor can help Daniel dig around in his copious brain matter for that info on dialing all the gates."

"Yes, sir," Sam said, hoping that, when they got back, it wouldn't be to the news that Anubis had retaken Dakara and the weapon that was their only hope of defeating him.


	49. Chapter 49

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Not long after they got underway, Daniel yet again found himself experiencing the strange sensation of having his mind merged with the computer onboard the ship that bore his name. Because he knew exactly what he was looking for this time, it took less time to find the information within the massive Ancient knowledge in his subconscious mind.

Daniel made a hologram of himself appear before Thor and his teammates.

"I've got it," he said. He turned to a screen, which began displaying data. Thor studied the information.

"Yes, this is the information you need," he stated. "With this, you will be able to activate every Stargate in the galaxy simultaneously."

"Great," Sam said. "At least we managed to get that."

"I will transmit the data to Stargate Command."

"About this plan to capture a Replicator," Daniel said. "It wouldn't be able to take control of the ship's systems like that human-form Replicator did?"

"No. Human-form Replicators are far more advanced. A lone Replicator of the type we will capture could not interfere with this ship's systems unless it was to physically gain access to them. Your power will prevent that from happening."

Twenty minutes later, the ship dropped out of hyperspace.

"I have located the Landvaettir, an Asgard ship that was taken control of by the Replicators several days ago," Thor announced. "It appears to be alone." He looked at SG-1. "We must act quickly. The Replicators are no doubt aware of our presence and preparing to attack."

Sam turned to Daniel. "Daniel?"

The archeologist turned his attention to the Replicator-controlled ship. Seconds later, his mind was inside it. Using the instructions Thor had given him, he found and destroyed the ship's shield generator.

"It's done," he said. "Let's go."

In the next moment, SG-1 was onboard the Replicator ship. In the moment after that, they were under attack. Dozens of Replicators swarmed toward them. The things were mowed down by Sam's and Teal'c's weapons and the power of Daniel's mind. The archeologist focused on one individual among the hoards. The spider-like machine suddenly found itself floating helplessly in the air. Daniel quickly brought it to him and rather nervously took hold of one of its immobilized legs.

"We've got one, Thor!" he called into the communicator the Asgard had given him.

Seconds later, he and his teammates were back on the Daniel Jackson, along with the captured Replicator. Thor then opened fire upon the Replicator ship with the full force of his weapons. With its shields still down, the ship could not withstand the weapons fire and exploded. Thor took his ship back into hyperspace.

"Well, that was easy," Sam said, setting down her P-90. She looked at the Replicator that was once again floating in the air, its legs moving about frantically.

Thor was looking at a computer screen. "As we anticipated, the Replicator is sending a distress call to its kind. It will not be long before one or more Replicator ships respond. We must hurry."

Teal'c picked up another weapon, the prototype disruptor that Daniel created months ago with the aid of the ship's computers. He pointed it at the Replicator and fired. The energy wave struck the machine and continued past, doing no damage.

Thor studied the data his sensors had gathered. "I will now compare the data I just retrieved to that which was gathered before the Replicators were made impervious to the disruptor. We no longer need the Replicator."

That's all Daniel needed to hear. He immediately blasted the machine to bits, silencing its silent call for help. He had to wonder, though, if it was in time to prevent other Replicators from coming after them.

After several minutes, Thor announced, "It appears that some form of cipher has been introduced to render the disruptor weapon ineffective."

"Were you able to isolate it from the data you gathered?" Sam asked.

"No. It will be necessary to search for the cipher among the communications data that was transmitted to and from this Replicator through its subspace connection with the others. It may take quite some time to process the data."

"Quite some time" proved to be a bit over three hours. After that, Thor worked on altering the disruptor technology to overcome the cipher. He explained that they must test it under battle conditions to see if it worked. Among the data he'd gathered from the captured Replicator were the locations of every Replicator ship presently in the galaxy. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were surprised by the numbers, and the archeologist got a bad feeling that they were witnessing the start of something big.

After contacting the SGC and telling Jack what they were intending to do, Thor and SG-1 headed for a lone Replicator ship, dropping out of hyperspace once they were in range.

"Firing weapon," the Asgard said.

On the viewscreen, they watched the disruptor wave strike the ship.

"The ship's systems have shut down," Thor announced.

"Then it worked," Daniel said in relief.

"Yes, the weapon appears to be effective."

The words were barely out of Thor's mouth when another ship appeared.

"Another ship," Sam said. She noticed that this one looked like it was created entirely from Replicator blocks.

"They are firing on us," Thor replied.

The Daniel Jackson shuddered as it was hit.

"Targeting the second ship."

Again, Thor fired the weapon, but, this time, to everyone's surprise and dismay, there appeared to be no effect. They were fired upon again, the Replicator ship bearing down on them.

"It's still coming," Sam said.

"They have adapted themselves to our modifications," Thor responded.

"Already? That was fast."

"Yes."

The ship rocked from another strike.

Thor took his ship into hyperspace. However, moments later, the failure of the hyperdrive engines, as well as other key systems, testified to the fact that they had been boarded.

SG-1 hurried off to go take care of the invaders. On the way, Thor informed them that the shields were not working and that the Replicator ship had pursued them and was closing in.

It didn't take long to find the Replicators, and SG-1 immediately attacked. It was only seconds later that something horrifying happened. With a flash of light, Daniel was beamed away right before his teammates' eyes.

"No!" Sam cried. "Thor, they took Daniel!"

"There is nothing I can do, Colonel Carter. The ship appears to be leaving." A moment later, the Asgard said, "It is gone. I am sorry."

All during the minutes that followed, as Sam and Teal'c destroyed Replicator after Replicator, the thought that filled their minds was what was going to happen to their teammate.

--------------------------------------------------

The file Jack had been holding nearly went flying when Sam and Teal'c suddenly appeared before him in his office.

"Jeez, Carter," he said. "Tell Thor to give me a warning ahead of time." Jack noticed the look on her face. Then something else occurred to him. "Where's Daniel?"

"He was taken by the Replicators," Teal'c replied.

_'Crap,'_ Jack silently cursed. "Why just Daniel?"

"There's only one reason I can think of," Sam answered, "the duplicate of me that Fifth made. She would know that the disruptor technology is Ancient in origin and would be worried that there's other Ancient technology out there that could be a threat to the Replicators." Sam looked stricken. "Thanks to my memories, she knows that Daniel's mind contains all the knowledge of the Ancients. She'll try to get at it." Her look of distress changed to horror. "Oh my God. The device on Dakara! If it could be used to destroy the Kull Warriors, it could probably also be used to destroy the Replicators. All it would take was to adjust the frequency accordingly. Once she finds out about it, she'll send Replicators to destroy it."

"Oy!" was Jack's response.

"She could have easily destroyed Thor's ship after she captured Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated, "but, instead, she departed."

"Probably because she figured that she didn't have to bother with us," Sam said. "We managed to destroy all the Replicators that had infested the Daniel Jackson, but that may have only delayed the inevitable. With Daniel's knowledge at her disposal, she could become even more powerful. Sir, we have to change our plans. We have to try and set that device on Dakara to kill the Replicators. It's the only hope we have."

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Slowly, Daniel's eyes opened. He looked up at the ceiling, which he realized belonged to a Quonset hut.

"Daniel," said a voice. He turned to see Sam coming toward him with a relieved smile.

"Thank God you're awake." She sat beside him and took his hand. "I've been so worried about you."

Daniel frowned. "Sam? What happened? Where am I?"

"We're at the new Beta Site."

"New Beta Site?"

"The old one was destroyed, as was the Alpha Site. Daniel, the Replicators are overrunning the galaxy. They've already decimated the Goa'uld and have all but wiped out the rebel Jaffa. They're now attacking human populated worlds." Tears filled her eyes. "Daniel, Earth . . . Earth has fallen. It was attacked by hundreds of thousands of Replicators. We couldn't stop it."

Horror and grief struck Daniel a crushing blow. The vision he'd had of the Replicator attack had come true. They hadn't stopped it from happening.

"Some of us managed to get through the gate before the base was overrun." Sam's grip on his hand tightened. "General O'Neill is dead, Daniel. So is Teal'c. They both died fighting the Replicators."

Daniel's grief sharpened. God, this couldn't be real. It couldn't be happening.

"What happened to me?" he asked hoarsely, tears filling his eyes. "I don't remember any of this."

"Do you remember Thor's ship being attacked by the Replicators on the mission to capture one of them?" Daniel nodded. "You were seriously injured. We came so close to losing you. You've been in a coma for over a month."

Stunned yet again, Daniel looked off at nothing. That's when he realized something.

"I can't sense you."

Sam's gaze dropped to the bedcovers. "There was brain damage, Daniel. Janet didn't think you'd ever come out of the coma, but your healing ability slowly began healing the injuries. It's taken all this time for you to reach this point. We didn't know how this would affect your other paranormal abilities. It's possible that, in time, all of your powers will return." Sam's expression grew intense, and she leaned forward, staring into his eyes. "Daniel, we need your help. The knowledge of the Ancients is still inside your mind. There has to be something in there that will help us destroy the Replicators."

"Thor wasn't able to change the disruptor again to work?"

Sam shook her head. "No. Every time he did, the Replicators simply adapted again. Daniel, you're our only hope. If you can't help us, this entire galaxy will fall to the Replicators."

"But I don't have conscious access to that knowledge. Can the Asgard do what they did before and hook me up to one of their computers?"

Sam's expression turned even sadder. "The Asgard are gone, Daniel. The Replicators killed them all."

Daniel's eyes closed tightly. The Asgard were gone. Earth was gone. The rebel Jaffa, Jack and Teal'c, all killed as he lay in a coma. All his powers, and he'd been unable to do anything to stop it.

Daniel felt Sam wipe the tears from his face.

"There's still hope, Daniel," she said. "You can give us what we need."

"How?"

"Before Thor was killed, he gave us a device that the Asgard had been working on for a while now. Its purpose is to allow you to safely gain access to the Ancient knowledge in your subconscious. It wasn't quite finished when he gave it to us. I've been working on it almost nonstop since then, and I think it's finally finished." She pointed at a strange-looking device across the room. "That's it there."

Daniel studied the thing. "What do I need to do?"

"Once it's activated, you only need to allow it to enter your conscious and subconscious mind. If you fight it, you'll block it from doing its job."

Daniel nodded. "Okay, let's do it."

Sam smiled grimly and got the device, wheeling it over to the bed. She placed several round pads on his head, somewhat like when an EEG was being taken, except that there were no wires leading from the pads to the machine. She then pressed a button, and the device lit up, a low hum emitting from it.

"Ready?" she asked. She got a nod from Daniel. "Okay, just relax and open your mind. Let the machine in."

Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He relaxed, attempting to open himself to the device, allow it entrance into his mind. He had just begun to feel something, a tentative probing, when, suddenly, a warning of danger struck him powerfully. He gasped and jerked back, wide eyes locked on Sam.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked. "It was starting to work."

"Something's wrong."

"Wrong?"

"Yes, something's not right. My sixth sense has been warning me since I woke up, but I thought it was because of the threat from the Replicators. But just now, it sent great big alarm bells ringing. Something. . . ." Daniel's voice trailed off. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're all outside and in other parts of the camp."

"Why isn't there a doctor here? I just wake up from a month-long coma, and there's no doctor? Where's Janet?"

Sam looked away. "She's dead."

Daniel should have been saddened by the news, but he was beginning to suspect something. "And were all the other doctors killed, too? Who's been treating me?"

"There are some medics, but they're all busy with other patients. There was another Replicator attack recently."

Daniel shook his head. "Sorry, Sam, but I'm not buying it. These walls are only corrugated metal, so I should be able to hear something going on outside, but I haven't heard a thing. It's completely silent out there. And you should have called at least one medic in here to monitor my condition while that thing was being used on me. That's standard practice, and it would only make sense in case something went wrong." He stared narrowly at the woman before him. "Who are you?"

All emotion dropped from her face. The hut disappeared from around Daniel, and he found that he was bound to a wall by what he recognized as Replicator blocks. The woman before him still had Sam's face, but it was not the real Samantha Carter. Dressed all in black, she gazed at him coldly. Daniel knew who she was.

"You're the human-form Replicator Fifth created."

"I see that you were already aware of my existence."

"I saw you in a vision I had a while ago. Where's Fifth?"

"He was weak, so I destroyed him. He would have hindered our domination of this galaxy. My plans are already underway. I intend to first destroy the Goa'uld and their Jaffa, remove them from my path and take their ships for our own purposes. Many ships controlled by my brethren are already in this galaxy, and more arrive by the moment. They will sweep across it, growing in numbers as we take the ships of the Goa'uld and use them to take still more."

Daniel was alarmed by the news but hid it well. "Okay, obviously, you want something from me, and, based upon the trick you just tried to pull, I'm guessing that you think the Ancient knowledge in my head might contain information about some other weapon that can be used against you. I can understand why you kept me unconscious since I'd never have let you come near me if I'd been awake, but why the elaborate ruse? You can do that whole hand in the head thing. Why didn't you just go in and take what you wanted?" A thought occurred to Daniel. "Or is it that you can't access those memories?" He stared at her closely. "That's it, isn't it. You can't get to them."

Replicator Carter stepped toward him. "Your mind is very strong, Daniel, far stronger than any human the Replicators have ever encountered. Even in your unconscious state, it fought to keep me out."

"And succeeded."

"In time and with patience, I would have succeeded in breaching the walls surrounding your memories, but I soon realized that there was an easier way."

Daniel nodded. "In that little playact you set up, that machine was supposed to access the knowledge, but I had to let it in. You were trying to get me to open the door to my mind and let you get inside."

"And I succeeded, if only for an instant. But that instant was enough. Now I have what I need to get inside your mind fully." The Replicator smiled. "Everything you know will be mine."

Angry, Daniel looked down at the blocks binding his wrists and ankles, shattering them with a thought. He stepped away from the wall, eyes blazing at the creature who wore the face of the woman he loved but who possessed no soul, no heart, no compassion.

"If you think I'm just going to stand idly by and let you do this, you've got another thing coming," he said.

Replicator Carter smiled again. "You do not have the power to destroy me."

Daniel knew she was right. His previous attempt to kill a human-form Replicator had failed.

"You're right, but I can keep you away from me. And, if that isn't enough, I can destroy a big chunk of this ship. I can kill myself, which I think will make it pretty hard for you to get anything from me."

"You would kill yourself and rob this galaxy of the power and knowledge you possess? I know from Samantha's memories that you have accomplished much."

"Oh, come on. You and I both know that, once you get what you want, you're going to kill me."

Replicator Carter studied him. "What if I promise not to?"

Daniel laughed humorlessly. "Yeah."

"Do you really think I am that different from Samantha Carter?"

"In that you're a Replicator bent on galactic domination at the expense of all living things. . . ."

"Her thoughts, her memories, even her emotions, they are not meaningless to me. She cares a great deal about you, Daniel. I do not wish to harm you, or destroy Earth, for that matter. I could have done that already, if I so desired."

Daniel frowned. "You're saying you'll leave Earth untouched?"

"I promise you that and your life."

Daniel stared at her narrowly. He shook his head. "I don't believe you. No deal."

The Replicator's expression hardened. "Very well. It would have been far easier for both of us if you had chosen to cooperate."

The archeologist shrugged infinitesimally. "Life is tough. Get used to it."

In the next moment, Daniel found that he couldn't breathe. It was as if all the air was being sucked out of the room.

Replicator Carter gazed at him without pity. "The oxygen in this room is being evacuated. I have no need for it, but you do."

Gasping, Daniel fell to his knees. Blackness was eating away at the corners of his vision, his head pounding from the lack of oxygen. His lungs screamed for air, but there was none. He fell the rest of the way to the floor.

The last thing Daniel saw before the blackness consumed him was the face of Replicator Carter smiling down at him in satisfaction.

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Jack entered Sam's lab. Unaware of his presence, she put several things in a backpack. Jack saw her wipe a tear from her face.

"Carter."

Startled, Sam turned to him. "Sir. I-I didn't see you there."

"Are you leaving soon?"

Sam nodded. "I need to work on getting the DHD on Dakara set up to dial all the gates." She resumed packing.

"Carter . . . Sam. It's not your fault."

Sam looked at him. "She has my memories, my knowledge. It's because of them that she took Daniel."

"Which is not your fault. You were an unwilling participant in that whole thing with Fifth. You couldn't have stopped it from happening."

"It's my fault that Fifth wanted revenge. If I hadn't betrayed him, he wouldn't have captured me, and he wouldn't have created that thing."

"You were under orders, Carter, _my_ orders. If anyone is to blame for this, it's me." Jack stepped up to her and laid a hand on her arm. "We're going to get him back, Sam."

"How? He could be anywhere." Her voice shook. "He might already be dead."

Jack shook his head. "No. He's alive. I can't accept anything else. Daniel will figure out a way to get himself out of this. With all his powers, he should be able to do something."

"He can't kill her. He wasn't able to kill that other human-form Replicator."

"Then he'll do something else. Don't give up on him, Sam. Daniel has always managed to make it through, even in the toughest of situations. He'll do it again this time."

--------------------------------------------------

Jacob immediately pulled Sam into a hug when she entered the temple chamber.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" he asked gently, already guessing the answer.

"I'm scared, Dad. Since Daniel gained his abilities, he has managed to beat unbeatable odds, but this is so different. Every time I think about what she must be doing to him, it tears me apart. I'm so afraid that I'm never going to see him again."

Jacob gently took her chin between his fingers. "Hey. You listen to me. Daniel is tough, and he's resourceful. He'll find a way to get out of this."

"That's what General O'Neill said."

"Well, then maybe you should listen, kiddo. Daniel will be all right." Jacob released her and turned to the device. "You know, getting the computer interfaced with this thing would have been a lot easier with your help. It took Selmak and I some time to get it working. Take a look at this." He showed her an analysis graph on the computer. "From what I've been able to tell, this is showing the frequency spectrum of the wave the weapon uses to disintegrate matter. You and Daniel were right that varying the height of these panels alters the settings. Watch this."

Jacob slowly pushed one of the panels down. The graph changed significantly.

"What we have to do is alter the settings on the weapon consoles so that the output wave matches that of the disruptor technology," he said. "Before you contacted me and told me that the plan had changed and we were going to target the Replicators instead, I playing around with it, trying to make some sense as to how each panel affects the frequency of the output wave, but Selmak and I have yet to figure out how to set it to a specific frequency, and we've been at it for hours."

Sam looked at the graph for a moment. She plugged a flash drive in and transferred some data to the laptop. She then brought up a new graph.

"This is the spectrum analysis that I just completed of the Replicator disruptor wave," she said. "As you can see, it's quite a bit different. I can run a program to compare the difference between the two waves. It should let us know if we're even going in the right direction."

"Well, that will definitely help."

"The thing is that, even if we can make this work, the Replicators were quickly able to adapt themselves to the frequency modulation Thor made to the original disruptor wave. That means that this will only work once, unless we can adjust the frequency again."

"Then you'll have to use what you learned about opening all the gates and hit every Replicator in the galaxy at the same time."

Sam nodded. "And hope that more don't come here later. If we can kill my . . . my doppelganger and Fifth, there won't be a human-form Replicator controlling them anymore. That will make it a lot easier to get rid of the ones in the Asgards' galaxy."

Sam got to work on her program, unable to stop the thought that, if Daniel was there, the Ancient knowledge in his mind might have given them what they needed to set the device to the right frequency. Instead, he was in the clutches of an evil machine with Sam's face and memories.

_'Please be all right, Daniel,'_ she pleaded in her mind.

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel's head lifted, eyes opening. He looked about and saw that, yet again, he was fastened to the wall. He was also alone. Staring down at the Replicator blocks manacling his arms and legs, he attempted to free himself. He was shocked when it didn't work.

"Your power will not work here."

Daniel looked up to see Replicator Carter slowly approaching him.

"This place is not real," she said, "but, rather, another construction within your mind. Since it is not real, your telekinetic powers cannot damage anything."

Daniel glared at her. "Why are you doing this again? You said that you could get into my memories now. So, why haven't you taken what you want?" When she didn't reply, he looked at her more closely. "Ah. You were wrong. You still can't get in."

"It is only a matter of time before I succeed. I merely needed to prevent you from taking your own life." She drew closer. "I have decided that, instead of attacking the Goa'uld, my first target will be Earth."

Fear shuddered through Daniel. "No."

"Once your world is gone, I will not have to worry about your Stargate Command interfering."

Daniel was starting to panic. The images he saw in the vision he had all those months ago came back into his mind with stark clarity.

The Replicator gazed at him. "However, you can still save your world. Give to me what I want, and I will spare Earth and the people you love."

Faces began flashing through Daniel's mind, the faces of the people he cared about most. If he didn't do something, they'd all die.

Frantically trying to figure out what he could do, he wondered if the device on Dakara—

Too late, Daniel realized what he'd done. His eyes went to Replicator Carter, who was smiling in triumph.

"Yes. Your mind has revealed a weapon that could destroy me, the only one in the galaxy that could do so. Thanks to you, it will soon be no more."

Rage exploded inside Daniel, and he struggled against his bonds, furious at himself for falling into her trap. All at once, he was free. He lifted his hands and looked at them, knowing that he'd had nothing to do with his bonds being removed.

He took moved away from the wall, eyes on Replicator Carter. The desire to destroy her, to put an end to the threat she posed to all he loved, was burning in his mind, but it was an impotent rage.

"So, you have what you want," he said. "I suppose you're going to kill me now."

"On the contrary, you are far too valuable for me to kill, at least yet. In just the brief moment I had access to your memories, I saw some of what you already know of the Ancient knowledge. I saw the things you experienced when you were ascended. The extent of knowledge your subconscious mind contains must be far greater than even I believed." She approached him. "You have no idea, do you?"

"Actually, yes, I do. I can still quite clearly recall what it was like to have all that stuff filling my head so full that it felt like it was going to explode."

The Replicator nodded. "Yes. You've been afraid to attempt to access it on your own because of the danger that it would once again overwhelm you. I could help you. With my help, it could be done in a way that would not endanger you. The knowledge of the Ancients, the secrets of the universe, could be ours."

"I have to admit it does sound interesting."

Replicator Carter smiled slightly.

"On the other hand, you're an evil killing machine, so, no, I'll pass."

Daniel was suddenly struck by the feeling of someone attempting to force their way into his mind. He fought back, trying to thwart the invasion. The pressure grew stronger, and he fought even harder.

All at once, an image flashed into his mind of Jack, Sam and Teal'c being attacked by Replicators, which swarmed over their bodies, tearing them apart as they screamed in agony. Daniel cried out at the horrible sight, and his concentration wavered. He lost ground, and felt Replicator Carter make it inside his mind for a moment.

"No!" he yelled, pushing her back out with all his might. He opened his eyes and glared hotly at her, breathing hard.

"You cannot win," she said. "I will get inside, and then all your knowledge will be mine."

Not giving him time to refute that claim, she struck again with a double blow, filling his mind with more horrifying images as she rammed against the mental barrier he had constructed. Daniel fought to maintain his concentration on keeping her out, but he could not ignore the terrible sights she was bombarding his mind with and could feel her getting closer and closer to breaking through. He was going to lose. She would take all the Ancient knowledge he possessed and use it to do terrible things.

It was in that moment that he recalled something, a memory from his year as an Ascended Being. He was in a conversation with Oma about the danger of examining evil too closely. He'd quoted something from the nineteenth century philologist and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: "If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." The literal meaning was that if you looked at evil long enough, it would become a part of you, but it suddenly had an entirely different meaning for Daniel.

Knowing what he had to do, Daniel let Replicator Carter in.


	50. Chapter 50

CHAPTER FIFTY

Jacob pressed one of the device's panels and watched as numbers on the computer screen changed, dropping slightly. He gave a sigh. This was taking too long. They had to get the device's wave output to match the modified Replicator disruptor wave to within a margin of point seven six percent, but they still had a long way to go. The problem was that, even with the help of Sam's program, there still seemed to be no pattern to what panels needed to be lowered or raised. There had been times when he and Selmak made the wrong choice, taking them further away from the goal.

Sam came into the room. "How's it going?"

"I'm making progress, but slowly. How about you?"

"I've rigged the DHD to dial automatically on signal when the weapon's ready. It's programmed to activate every gate in the network. I could never have done it without those instructions Daniel gave us."

"We'll have to give him a big thank you after this is all over."

Sam's gaze dropped to the ground. Jacob knew that she was still worried sick about the man she loved, but all their attention needed to be focused on their task.

"I really wish we had an instruction manual for _this_ thing," he said. "You'd think that the Ancients could have come up with a control panel that was easier and made more sense."

"Well, maybe they did it this way on purpose to prevent someone else from figuring out how to use it."

Jacob turned back to the device and pressed another panel. The difference between the two graphs lowered from fifty-nine to forty-seven percent.

"Hey, great going, Dad," Sam said.

"There's still a long way to go, and we have no idea when the Replicators will arrive."

"We'll make it. We have to."

--------------------------------------------------

The knowledge of millions of years was slowly and painfully being uncovered, piece by piece, memory by memory.

Replicator Carter drew back from it for a moment.

"It's incredible," she marveled.

Daniel frowned in pain, but said nothing.

"Do you not care?" the Replicator asked. "Are you not amazed by what you are seeing?"

"I don't understand it. It's more than any human can begin to comprehend."

"I am not human."

"Oh, believe me, I know. There must be a limit to how much your mind can process, how much information you can store."

"I am sharing what I learn with my brethren. The extent of knowledge we can absorb is only limited by our numbers. As we speak, those numbers are growing faster than you can imagine."

"But are there enough of you yet? You've only just started invading this galaxy. There can't be all that many of you here, relatively speaking, and I kind of doubt that you can talk with the Replicators all the way over in the Asgards' galaxy."

"I have escalated the invasion. My brethren are presently hunting down and attacking every ship they find. Already, great numbers of Goa'uld ships are within our power, and more fall to us by the moment. Our power and numbers grow exponentially."

With a smile, Replicator Carter dove back into Daniel's mind.

--------------------------------------------------

As the alarm for an unscheduled off-world activation sounded, Jack descended the stairs to the control room.

"Is it Carter?" he asked.

"No, sir," Sergeant Harriman replied, "but we _are_ picking up a radio signal."

"Put it on speaker."

They heard nothing but interference over the speaker.

Jack frowned. "What is that?"

"I don't know, sir."

Suddenly, images began flashing across the monitors, blueprint-like images of various Stargates.

"Okay, so what the hell is _that_?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure, General. I can't access the system. Looks like something's hacked into the computer remotely."

"Shut it down."

The sergeant attempted to shut down the gate, but failed. "I can't, sir. I'm locked out!"

"Damn." Jack picked up a phone. "This is General O'Neill," he said into the receiver.

At that moment, the iris opened.

"Sir!" Walter cried.

Seconds later, Replicators began swarming through the gate. The SF's in the gate room fired upon them, but there were far too many to stop.

Jack stared at the sight in shock and horror. He grabbed the microphone and told the men in the gate room to evacuate, then gave the order to close the blast doors.

"Initiate base lockdown," Jack said over the P.A. "Emergency evacuation of all personnel through alternate routes. Self-destruct protocol, on my order."

He hung up the phone and turned to Harriman. "Let's get out of here, Walter!"

As he hurried down the corridors, Jack knew that they were in big, big trouble. They had to prevent the Replicators from getting to the surface, even if it meant destroying the base with the self-destruct device.

A short while later, he found out that wasn't going to be possible. The Replicators had reached the self-destruct device and blocked access to it, probably disabling as well.

Jack came up with an alternate plan. As soon as everyone was out, they'd toss a nuke down the silo. Hopefully, that would be enough to take care of the bugs. And if it wasn't? Jack wasn't going to think about that.

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel's eyes opened, and he looked at Replicator Carter, whose eyes had also opened, a slightly disconcerted look on her face.

"You can't handle it, can you?" Daniel said, feeling a hint of satisfaction.

"I can. I just need time to process, share it with the others."

"Like the universe, it's infinite. It's not just knowledge and information, it's understanding on a level that you will never reach."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you're a machine."

"So are you, just of weaker construction."

"And that's where you're wrong."

Replicator Carter gave Daniel a smile of confidence. "We'll see."

Daniel returned the smile, knowing that he'd almost reached his goal. Soon, the human-form Replicator would receive a big surprise.

--------------------------------------------------

The president has authorized deployment of a ten-kiloton nuclear bomb, on Jack's command. An emergency state of alert had been issued in a two hundred square mile radius around Cheyenne Mountain, which was currently being evacuated. A transport helicopter was, at that moment, waiting on the surface for Jack and the remaining personnel.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. Eight SGC personnel, including Siler, were pinned down by the Replicators and couldn't get to an emergency escape hatch.

Reynolds, Jack and three others were now on their way to rescue the men, all of them wondering if they'd manage to get off the base alive.

--------------------------------------------------

Again, Daniel's eyes snapped open. Furious, he glared at Replicator Carter.

"So much for leaving Earth alone. There's Replicators infiltrating the SGC right now."

Surprised, she stared at him. "How can you know that?"

Daniel did not reply, simply looking at her.

Comprehension came to the Replicator. "While I was in your mind, you were inside mine."

Daniel's eyes looked into hers with a hint of gloating. "Took a while to figure out. Fortunately, you were too distracted to notice. Some of the Ancient knowledge really helped, too. Thank you."

Replicator Carter was furious. "You tricked me."

"Yep, sure did. But then, you tricked me first, so I figure we're even. Too bad you didn't question why you were so suddenly able to get past my mental shield. I let you in on purpose."

"You should never have told me."

Daniel's gloating went up a notch. "Too late . . . for you, that is."

Replicator Carter's hand rose to strike him. He grabbed her wrist. Replicator fought to break his grip, but found that she couldn't.

"Trying to leave?" Daniel said. "Sorry. A little more time in Danny's world."

"My brethren will not stop. You cannot control them."

Daniel's eyes pierced into hers, blazing with fire. "Not yet, but I'm learning."

--------------------------------------------------

Things were not going well on Dakara. A couple of minutes ago, an armada of Goa'uld ships had come out of hyperspace and was presently attacking the rebel fleet. But the situation could have been worse. Everyone was pretty certain that the attacking ships were some of Anubis'. If they'd been Replicator-controlled ships, it was likely that, with their more powerful weapons, they would already be decimating the rebel fleet.

Jacob's attention was fully upon the device before him. He pressed another panel and was delighted to see the number differential change from thirty-eight to eight.

Sam came hurrying into the chamber. "I got a message from Teal'c. He says that they're doing all right up there so far, but it's a tough battle." She looked at the computer. "Wow, you've come far, only seven point two four percent to go."

"Lucky guesses mostly. We've made some wrong ones, too. Selmak would have his fingernails chewed down to the quick, if he had any." He hesitated a moment, then pressed another panel, cursing when the number raised to twenty-five.

"Dammit! I would really like to have a little chat with the people who built this thing."

Frowning, Sam walked up to the Ancient device. She studied it a moment.

"Try that one," she said, pointing at one of the panels.

"Any particular reason?"

"No, not really. Call it woman's intuition."

Jacob did as she asked, and the number reduced to eighteen.

"Better." He smiled at Sam. "Maybe Daniel's abilities are rubbing off on you."

"I wish. We could really use them right now." Her eyes met his. "Dad, I tried to dial the SGC, but I couldn't get through."

"Maybe a team was coming through the gate, or they could have been contacting someone."

"Maybe, but I have a really bad feeling."

"Woman's intuition again?"

"Could be or maybe it's just nerves. But I keep thinking about the Replicators. Earth would be one of their primary targets. Daniel had a vision several months ago of Replicators attacking Earth by the tens of thousands."

"Sam, don't think about that. We've got enough to think about as it is."

Sam nodded. "Yes, you're right."

They both returned their attention to the device. Another panel was pushed, dropping the differential to eleven.

"Sam, you do realize that, if Anubis' ships break through, we're not going to be able to stop those soldiers," Jacob said. "We don't have enough weapons that can kill them."

"I know. We just have to hope that doesn't happen until after we activate the device."

"And what about afterwards?"

"We'll use the nuke the general sent through just in case and blow this thing to hell. We can't let Anubis get his hands on it."

--------------------------------------------------

With the aid of Jack and the men with him, the Replicators attacking the group of trapped personnel were finished off.

"Thank you, sir!" Siler said as he came forward, scooting around the blasted remains of the Replicators.

Jack handed him a weapon. "I expect to be put in your will."

"Already on it, sir."

That made Jack pause. "Okay, that's . . . weird."

With Jack and Reynolds in the lead, the men traveled back up the corridor, keeping a careful eye out for the invaders. And then they heard it, the sound of approaching Replicators . . . lots of them.

"Ah, crap!" Jack cursed.

All of the armed men took aim. The moment the Replicators came around the corner, they opened fire. The Replicators swarmed toward them.

--------------------------------------------------

In the space above Dakara, the battle waged on.

Aboard one of the rebel motherships, Teal'c announced, "Shields are down fifty percent."

"We cannot take much more," Aron said.

"We cannot retreat," Bra'tac declared. "If we do, Anubis will take Dakara. That cannot be allowed."

At that moment, the situation became even more grave.

"Sensors are picking up multiple ships exiting hyperspace," Aron said. A moment later, he announced in surprise, "They are firing on Anubis' forces."

Teal'c stared at the viewscreen. "It is the Replicators. Contact Colonel Carter. They must be told of this immediately. And instruct all of our vessels to target the Replicator ships."

"Are we not better off letting them destroy each other?"

"If the Replicators should prevail and gain control of the weapon on Dakara, all that we have fought for is lost."

Down on the planet, Sam and Jacob received the dismaying news that the Replicators had arrived. Jacob responded by pressing another panel, which lowered the differential to six point one. Not hesitating, he pushed down another one, and the number dropped another point five percent.

"We're getting there," Sam said.

"But the clock is really ticking down."

--------------------------------------------------

The battle for the base was still going on. The Replicators seemed to be everywhere, and the countdown for the detonation of the nuke had begun. Jack had come to the conclusion that he and the men with him weren't going to make it off the base through the escape route and had ordered Walter up on the surface to tell General Hammond to pull the trigger on the nuke the moment he could. He'd also given the command for the chopper that had been waiting for them on the mountain top to get out of there. Jack and the men with him were now going down instead of up, down to the only other way they'd be able to get off the base.

Reaching their destination, Jack, Reynolds and Siler entered the control room as the rest of the men took up position in the corridor outside. Jack and the leader of SG-3 quickly eliminated the Replicators that were in the room.

"Go," Jack commanded Siler, who went to the control console and began typing. The lights started turning on throughout the complex, and the blast shield covering the window lifted, revealing an empty gate room.

"Siler, can you dial out?" Jack asked.

"I'm working on it, sir."

Reynolds looked at his watch. "Ten minutes to detonation."

Jack glanced at his own watch upon hearing that.

The sound of gunfire coming from the corridor made the SGC commander curse internally. Reynolds left the control room to go help hold off the Replicators.

"Step it up, Siler," Jack said. "We're almost out of time."

"I'm having problems, sir. The Replicators have taken the dialing computer offline. I'm working as fast as I can."

Deciding he'd be of more use in the efforts to hold off the Replicators, Jack grabbed his weapon and joined his men, closing the blast door behind him.

"How's it going in there?" Reynolds asked.

"Not well."

"Same here."

Deciding to get a bit more proactive, Jack yelled, "Grenade!" and fired off three grenades. The Replicators kept right on coming.

"Crap! The damn things are like locusts."

Above the sound of the weapons fire, Reynolds said, "I don't think we're going to get out of here, General."

--------------------------------------------------

The mothership Teal'c, Bra'tac and Aron were on was in trouble. The shields were down, and the weapons were offline. Power had been rerouted to sub-light engines and evasive maneuvers taken, but it was useless. The Replicator ships were too quick.

What they didn't know was that a ship made entirely of Replicators had landed on the planet.

Inside the temple, Jacob had gotten the differential down to two point nine percent.

"Two point one five percent to go," Sam said.

Jacob nodded. At that moment, they heard gunfire outside.

"What's that?" Jacob asked, already knowing the answer.

Also knowing what was happening, Sam said, "Hurry."

"I've almost got it. Just a little more time."

"I don't think we have it," Sam yelled as she turned and ran to the doorway, preparing to try her best to keep the Replicators out.

Moments later, the Jaffa retreated to the entrance of the inner chamber, unable to hold back the invaders from gaining entrance to the structure.

Soon, the Replicators came into view, swarming into the structure. Sam and the Jaffa opened fire on them.

Many light-years away, another confrontation was continuing to be waged. Replicator Carter could sense Daniel's efforts to get control of the Replicators, and she fought against it. So certain was she that he could not succeed, however, that she did not break the connection between their minds, still intent upon taking all she could of the Ancient knowledge. That proved to be her biggest mistake.

Daniel's eyes opened, and he looked triumphantly at Replicator Carter, who stared back at him in shock.

"Got you now!" he declared.

All across the galaxy, every Replicator suddenly became motionless, controlled, for the first time in all of history, by the mind a human.

On Earth and Dakara, the defenders stared in shock at the unmoving Replicators.

"Huh," Reynolds said, totally perplexed. He looked at Jack.

"That's odd," remarked the general.

Both men turned and resumed shooting the Replicators, which had suddenly become like shooting fish in a barrel.

In one of the rebel ships above Dakara, Aron stared, baffled, at the sensors.

"The Replicator ship just . . . stopped. Sensors are indicating that all of the Replicator ships have ceased activity."

Puzzled, Teal'c contacted the surface.

"Colonel Carter. Have you successfully activated the weapon?"

Sam got on her radio. "Not yet, but the Replicators down here just froze." She glanced over her shoulder at her father.

"Dad?"

"Almost there!"

Wondering what had caused the Replicators to freeze, Sam returned her attention to them.

On a ship far away, the man responsible held firm to his control of the countless thousands of Replicators within the galaxy. The many months of training his mind to control his psychic abilities were paying off, enabling him to do something that no ordinary human being could have done for long.

"There are so many, aren't there?" Replicator Carter said. "Too many for your mind to handle. It's taking all of your concentration just to control them."

"Actually, I seem to be doing just fine, thank you. In fact, I'm thinking that I should step this up a bit."

Following his words with deeds, Daniel passed on new orders to the Replicators onboard one of the ships above Dakara. Seconds later, the ship blew up, destroyed by its own occupants.

Furious, Replicator Carter finally broke free of Daniel's grip on her wrist. His position in the room abruptly changed. He was now once again imprisoned against the wall. He realized that he was finally back in the real world.

A second after he came to that realization, one of Replicator Carter's arms began forming into a sword-like appendage. She came at him, intent upon his death. Daniel's mind struck at her and threw her clear across the room. He then destroyed the blocks binding him and stepped away from the wall.

The attack had broken his concentration, and he lost control of the Replicators. Everywhere, they began to move again.

"Dad, they're on the move again!" Sam yelled.

Jacob pushed down another panel, and the differential went to point eight two. Just point six percent more to go! His eyes scanned the panels frantically, knowing he had to push one, but terrified that he'd choose the wrong one.

Inside the Replicator ship, Daniel's precognitive abilities sent a sudden warning to him, telling him what was about to happen. Knowing that, if he didn't do something, he would very soon be dead, he looked at the person he'd pinned against the wall.

"It's been nice, but I gotta run."

Blasting an opening in the wall, he fled the room. As he ran, he reached out with his newly gained power and seized control of the Replicator ship. It leapt into hyperspace at his command. He could feel Replicator Carter trying to wrest back control, but it was useless. She was now up against the full might of Daniel's power.

Too late, the human-form Replicator realized that she should have killed Daniel the moment she discovered that he was attempting to gain control of the Replicators. She had believed he was too weak to succeed, but she had been wrong, and, now, she was suffering the consequences. She didn't know yet, that, very soon, those consequences were going to prove fatal.

Inside the temple, Jacob made his selection. Fearfully, he pushed another panel, holding his breath as he watched the numbers on the monitor. They dropped to point seven two percent.

"Point seven two!" he cried.

"Do it!" Sam yelled.

Jacob activated the weapon, and the building began to shake as the tip of the mountain started splitting open like the petals of a gigantic flower.

Obeying the command Sam had programmed into it, the DHD on Dakara began to dial, not just one address, but all of them. All across the galaxy, on hundreds of thousands of worlds, Stargates began opening, prepared to receive that which would soon come.

At the top of the peak, the mighty device that had been made to create life gathered its power, this time, its mission one of destruction.

Replicator Carter heard the voices of her brethren on Dakara, telling her that something was happening there. She looked through their eyes and saw what they were witnessing. She commanded them to turn all their might upon getting to the weapon and stopping it.

In the temple, Sam and the Jaffa fought to keep the Replicators at bay, while, above the planet, Teal'c, Bra'tac and Aron watched a Replicator ship come in for the kill.

"Enemy ship is in range," Aron said. "It is powering weapons. We cannot survive another hit."

On another ship, Daniel came to a halt as they dropped out of hyperspace. By his order, the ship swiftly approached a planet, its new master uncertain that he was going to make it off in time.

And then he felt it. On that world hundreds of light-years away, the weapon of the Ancients released its massive power. It spread out in a gigantic wave, disintegrating every Replicator it touched. The energy entered the wormhole of the open gate on its unstoppable quest to wipe out every Replicator in the galaxy.

Daniel's mind gave one final command to the Replicator ship. Replicator Carter arrived just in time to witness him being beamed away. And then the wave of destruction hit, giving her one brief instant to be aware of her defeat before she was no more.


	51. Chapter 51

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Jack stood and watched a crew sweeping up the remains of the Replicators. It was going to take a while to get rid of it all, but better that than what could have happened.

The warning of an unscheduled gate activation began sounding. Wondering who it was this time, Jack went to the control room.

"It's Colonel Carter, sir," Harriman told him.

"Let her on through."

Sam came walking through the gate along with her father. They went up to the control room.

"Where's Teal'c?" Jack asked.

"He and Bra'tac are still handling things on Dakara," the lieutenant colonel replied.

"I suppose that's wise. I know they took care of the rest of Anubis' ships, but have they put any thought into what they'll do if the guy sends more ships to take back the planet? Or was Anubis on one of the ships that attacked?"

"No, sir. We're pretty sure that he wasn't."

"Too bad. At least maybe he'd have been out of commission for a while."

"If Anubis does send more ships, he's probably going to face quite a formidable force," Jacob said. "Teal'c and the others haven't wasted any time in announcing loud and clear to the galaxy that the free Jaffa have taken Dakara and successfully rebuffed Anubis' forces to keep it."

"With a little help from our not so friendly Replicators."

"Well, it's understandable that they'd leave that part out. Anyway, they're already getting back some responses. As they'd hoped, taking Dakara was like a shot in the arm to the movement. They'll probably have Jaffa from all over the galaxy joining with them."

"Well, viva la revolution!" Jack exclaimed.

"More ships are already on the way to help secure Dakara," Sam said. "The Jaffa have also taken over the enhanced Replicator ships that survived, which means that they're going to have some impressive firepower at their disposal. If we arm all the Jaffa with the Telchak energy weapons, they'll be able to turn the tide against Anubis' supersoldiers."

"What about that big honkin' weapon on Dakara? We got control of the thing for the express purpose of using it to kill those supersoldiers."

"Dad and I talked about that a bit, and we realized that hitting exactly the right frequency necessary to destroy the Kull warriors but leave all other organic life forms untouched would be extremely tricky. It wouldn't be the same as it was for the Replicators. We'd have to be right on the money, not even a fraction lower or higher."

"So, no galactic supersoldier house cleaning?"

"No, I'm afraid not, sir."

Jack looked back and forth between father and daughter. "I've got a question for you. Did you notice if the Replicators where you were happened to . . . stop in the middle of everything?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, "it was really strange. They just. . . ."

"Froze," she, Jack and Jacob all said at the same time.

Sam nodded. "It actually bought us the time we needed to calibrate the weapon."

"Any idea why that happened?" Jack asked, looking quite thoughtful.

Sam had a feeling that she knew what he was thinking. "You think Daniel had something to do with it?"

"I don't know."

The worry that Sam had tried to keep a lid on escaped. "Sir, if he was onboard that Replicator ship, then. . . ."

"Carter!" Jack interrupted. "We don't know anything."

Sam nodded. "No, sir." Despite Jack's words, she couldn't halt the fear that Daniel was now dead, his body floating somewhere in the cold depths of space. But she couldn't give up hope, not yet.

All eyes went to the view out the window as, yet again, the Stargate began turning, accompanied by still another announcement of an off-world activation.

"For crying' out loud," Jack sighed. "Who is it now?"

They waited for the wormhole to establish.

"Well, Walter?" Jack asked.

"Sir, it's SG-1's IDC."

"Daniel!" Sam exclaimed, grasping her father's arm. "It's Daniel!"

Hoping she was right, Jack told Harriman to send out a radio request for identification. But before that could be done, they heard a voice over the speakers.

"Hellooo, it's me," said Daniel. "And, yes, it's really me."

A big grin spread over Jack's face. He leaned down and spoke into the microphone. "Well, I don't know, Daniel. How can we be sure of that?"

They all heard a sigh. "Shall I blow up something in the gate room? I've never tried to do something like that through a wormhole before, but I suppose I could give it a try."

"That won't be necessary, Daniel. Come on through."

The iris opened. Moments later, everyone was treated to the wonderful sight of Daniel coming through. Sam dashed out of the control room and into the gate room, stopping just short of throwing herself into Daniel's arms. She was a lieutenant colonel, after all, and needed to maintain at least a certain amount of decorum in front of the personnel.

Daniel didn't give a damn about decorum and scooped her up into a tight hug.

"I've been so worried about you," Sam whispered. She felt Daniel stiffen against her for a second and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

He smiled. "Nothing. What you said just reminded me of something someone else said recently."

They went upstairs where Daniel received a surprising hug from Jacob.

"I'm glad to see you didn't get yourself killed and break my little girl's heart," the Tok'ra said with a smile.

"Ditto," said Jack, "except for the little girl part."

"Daniel, was it my Replicator double who took you?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. She wanted the Ancient knowledge in my head."

"Okay, Daniel, Carter, go on to the infirmary," Jack said, "then get yourselves cleaned up. Debriefing in an hour. Jacob, I think you might possibly benefit from a shower as well."

"You won't get an argument from me," the Tok'ra responded.

An hour later, they all sat in the briefing room and told their tales.

"She came really close to tricking me into giving her what she wanted," Daniel said after recounting Replicator Carter's ruse. "Unfortunately, she did later manipulate me into revealing the existence of Dakara." He told them how she'd done it.

"Not your fault, Daniel," Jack said, seeing that it was bothering the man. "We can't control the stuff that pops into our head."

Sam nodded. "I probably would have done the same thing."

"So, you were actually able to block her from gaining entrance to both your subconscious and conscious mind?" Jacob asked.

"To a certain extent," Daniel replied. "She could apparently read any thoughts that I had, the stuff on the surface, but she couldn't get inside my stored memories and knowledge, not even when I was unconscious. I already knew that I could somewhat block entrance into my mind. I found that out in the confrontation with the Methra."

"Yes, Sam told me about that little adventure."

"Anyway, in the end, _I_ was the one who tricked _her_."

Jack leaned forward in his chair. "How?"

"Once she realized that she wasn't going to get what she wanted by coercion or trickery, she tried forcing her way in. I could probably have kept her out indefinitely if she hadn't played dirty. She kept bombarding my mind with these . . . images. They were . . . pretty horrific. It was affecting my concentration. I was afraid that, sooner or later, she'd break through. That's when I got an idea. Actually, it came from a conversation I had with Oma when I was ascended. Have you ever heard the quote, 'If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.'?"

Sam nodded. "It's from Nietzsche, right?"

"Yes. I first heard it when I was studying Nietzsche. He was a philologist before he turned his attention to philosophy. As the Replicator was trying to get inside my head, it suddenly occurred to me that it could work both ways. If she was inside_my_ mind, I might be able to get inside _hers_. So, I let her in. All the time that she was scanning the Ancient knowledge, I worked on infiltrating her mind and learning how to take control of the Replicators. What helped was that I saw a lot of what she unearthed of the Ancient knowledge. It helped me figure out how to gain control."

Jack smiled. "Sweet. So, RepliCarter handed you the weapon that you used against her."

Daniel's eyebrows lifted. "RepliCarter?"

Jack shrugged. "It's easier to say than Replicator Carter."

"I suppose." Daniel shook his head. "She was apparently so certain that I couldn't possibly succeed that, even after she found out what I was trying to do, she didn't break the connection."

"Well, that wasn't too bright."

"It's not surprising, though," Sam remarked. "The human-form Replicators were all pretty arrogant and viewed humans as being far inferior to them. Fifth wasn't quite so bad in that regard."

"Yes, well, I'm still glad that he's dead, too," Jack stated, not having shed a tear when Daniel told them about the Replicator's demise at the hands of the very thing he created.

Daniel continued his narrative. "It took a while to finally figure out how to gain control. When I did, I made all the Replicators freeze."

"Yes, we kind of noticed that. They were pretty darn easy to shoot after that."

"If you hadn't managed to do that, I don't think we'd have gotten the Ancient device calibrated in time," Sam said. "You saved all of us."

"Again," Jack said.

Daniel glanced away, a bit in embarrassment. "After I made some of the Replicators blow up their own ship, uh, RepliCarter got a little ticked off. She broke the connection and tried to skewer me with a sword that used to be her hand."

Jack stared at him. "She made a sword out of her hand?" He looked at Sam. "Don't tell me. You've seen Terminator 2, haven't you."

"Not until you played it on one of our movie nights, sir."

Jack grimaced. "Okay, so it's my fault." He turned back to Daniel. "Since you're sitting here alive and well, I'm guessing that you objected to her intentions."

"Somewhat. I threw her across the room. That's when I had a vision of what was about to happen. I knew that the Ancient device was going to be fired, and, if I didn't get off that ship, I'd end up floating around all by myself in a very cold, dark, airless place."

Sam shuddered as she recalled her earlier thought. "How did you get off?"

"I took control of the ship and made it fly to the nearest planet with a Stargate."

"So, you were able to take control again?" Jacob asked.

Daniel nodded. "Now that I knew how, it was pretty easy, although I probably couldn't have reestablished control of all of the Replicators since I no longer had access to that sub-space link. I'd rather not think about how close I came to not getting off. By the time I beamed down to the planet, the weapon had already been fired. I just made it by the skin of my teeth."

Sam was deeply shaken by how close Daniel had come to being killed. If they'd activated the Ancient device just a couple of seconds sooner, he wouldn't have made it off the ship in time. That was way too close. Sam suspected that there would be a few nightmares in her near future.

"Well, you made it," Jack said. "That's all that matters. And close shaves are pretty much S.O.P. in this job. There wasn't much time left on the clock when I called off the detonation of the nuke."

"I would have made it back here sooner," Daniel said, "but it turned out that the DHD on the planet I beamed to was damaged. I had to fix it."

Sam's face brightened. "You can fix a DHD now?"

"Apparently. Among the Ancient stuff that RepliCarter pulled from my mind was a lot about the Stargates. I can still remember some of it."

That piqued Jack's attention. "How much can you remember?"

"Bits and pieces. It was so much, coming so fast, and a lot of it was beyond anything any human being could comprehend. And, no, Jack, no plans for a big space gun."

"Dang. What a disappointment."

Sam turned to the base commander. "Sir, what's the public explanation for the evacuation?"

"Yeah, that was a tricky one. I don't think anyone would have bought a gas leak. The official story is that a small, experimental nuclear device suffered a little glitch. The evacuation was just a precaution since there was no real danger that the device would actually explode. The president is anticipating that there will be lots of questions and a lot of people getting all stirred up that such a dangerous device was sitting in the middle of a heavily populated area. He'll promise that it will never happen again, and, hopefully, that will be the end of it."

Jack looked at Daniel, who was staring at the tabletop, a frown knitting his brow. "Something wrong, Daniel?" he asked.

"Um . . . yeah, I guess there is." The archeologist looked at everyone. "I've been so distracted with all the stuff that happened that I didn't realize something until just now. You know that bad feeling I had before all this started? Well . . . I still have it."

"Oh, _please_ tell me you're joking."

"I wish I could."

"You mean something else is gonna happen?"

Daniel nodded. "And, this time, I think it does have something to do with Anubis."

"Maybe he's going to attack Dakara and try to regain control," Jacob said.

"Oh boy," Sam murmured. "What do you think someone like Anubis would do with that weapon on Dakara?"

"Nothing very nice," was Jack's reply.

"But Anubis had to already know about it," Daniel said. "True, he obviously doesn't have all of the knowledge of the Ancients, but he'd have definitely known about that device."

"But would he have known exactly where it was?" Sam wondered.

"He's had control of that planet for years, he can read Ancient, and he can pass through walls at will. He could have searched the temple at any time and gotten inside that chamber. I don't see how he could not have known where it was. Besides, if the Jaffa legend about Dakara being the place where Anubis rose from the dead has any truth in it, it may have had something to do with that device."

"So, if he was going to do something with it, he'd have done so by now, right?" Jack asked.

"Um . . . I guess."

Jack stared at Daniel. "You guess?"

"Jack, we have no way of knowing what kind of ultimate plans Anubis has."

The general frowned. "You know, I'm thinking that getting rid of that thing might be a very good idea."

"I tend to agree."

"Then I'd say that we need to have a little talk with the Jaffa and tell them that."

"That might not be easy," Jacob responded. "That temple is if great historical and theological significance to them. They're not going to readily agree to it being destroyed."

"Would the entire temple have to be destroyed?" Sam asked.

"Pretty much," Daniel replied. "The amount of explosives we'd have to pack into that mountain would level everything in the immediate vicinity."

"Well, then it sounds like the person who needs to try to convince them is our good friend Dan'yar," Jack observed.

--------------------------------------------------

"Dan'yar" went to Dakara the next day. He met with a group of Jaffa in a torch-lit chamber. Among those assembled were Teal'c, Bra'tac, Aron and Toloc.

"Dan'yar," said the eldest Jaffa, Toloc. "It is an honor to finally meet you face to face."

Daniel dipped his head in a short bow. "The honor is mine as well." He turned to the man beside Toloc. "Aron, it's nice to see you again."

Just then, another person entered, and Daniel smiled upon seeing him.

"Ka'ter."

The green-eyed Jaffa came forward with a big smile and promptly pulled Daniel into a hearty embrace, which made a ripple of surprise pass through most of those assembled.

"It is good to see you again, my friend," Ka'ter said, holding Daniel at arms' length.

"Likewise."

"We are all honored that you have come," said a Jaffa named Sen'ek. "But what has brought you here?"

"It's about the Ancient device that's inside the temple. As you all now know, it's very powerful. It has the power to destroy all life in this galaxy. For that reason, it's very dangerous. I'm here to ask that you allow it to be destroyed."

That caused a murmur among the Jaffa assembled.

"But in order to destroy it, the temple must be destroyed as well," said one.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. There's no other way."

There was some more murmuring.

"Hear me, brothers," Teal'c said. "I have fought many battles at Dan'yar's side. I have seen first-hand his knowledge and wisdom. If he says we must destroy the weapon, then it must be destroyed."

"I am in agreement," Bra'tac declared. "Yes, this temple is an important part of our past, but it is a past that was one of servitude to false gods. It is not a symbol of our freedom, but of slavery."

Ka'ter nodded. "Bra'tac and Teal'c are right. Since the day I first met Dan'yar, I have come to see with my own eyes the honor, truth and wisdom of his actions. His words should be listened to and heeded. I say raze the temple to the ground and build in its place a new monument, one that is a symbol of our freedom from oppression."

Toloc held up his hand. "We hear all your words, and we do not doubt that Dan'yar is a man of honor and wisdom. Yet what he is asking us to do is not an easy thing. For many thousands of years, from the very beginning of our race, this temple has been a powerful symbol to our people. To destroy it would be to destroy the most important place in our history. It is our very birthplace!"

"I understand the significance of this place, Toloc," Daniel responded. "If there was some way to destroy the device yet preserve the temple, I'd do everything I could to see that done. But that weapon is a threat to all of us. As long as it exists, we will be living under its shadow. And Anubis knows of its existence. History is very important to me, but so is the future. If Anubis ever decided to use that weapon against us, none of us would have a future. He could easily dial any gate on any world, on Chulak, on Albaren, on the worlds that each of you call home, then activate the weapon and send the power through to wipe out all life on that planet. You wouldn't be able to stop it."

That disturbed every Jaffa there.

"But would he not be destroyed as well?" asked one.

Daniel shook his head. "No. The body he was inhabiting would be destroyed, but Anubis himself would survive since he's not made of flesh and bone."

"Then why has he not done this before now?" asked Aron.

"I don't know. It could be that he was afraid that the other System Lords would attack Dakara and destroy the temple if he started wiping out worlds in their territories." Daniel looked at all of them. "If I had to choose between preserving a part of the past or preserving the future for my children, I'd choose the future."

Toloc's expression was thoughtful. "You words, are, indeed, wise, Dan'yar. We will discuss this at length. There are others not here today who must be a part of this decision. They will be called for an assembly."

Daniel gave a nod of his head, knowing that he couldn't have expected an answer today. "Thank you, Toloc."

The call for an assembly was sent out among the Jaffa, and the meeting was arranged to take place the next day. Daniel and his teammates would be attending, as would Jack, who said this was too important for him to miss. Personally, Daniel would have preferred not having Jack there. If the vote went in the wrong direction, the man would very likely have a few choice words to say that wouldn't exactly endear him to the Jaffa.

"Okay, so what's the plan if they say no to getting rid of that thing?" Jack asked the archeologist.

"What makes you think I have a plan?"

"Because you know that thing needs to be gone, and you're the only one with a prayer of destroying it behind the backs of the Jaffa."

"Jack, I may be able to do more now than what I could in the beginning, but I'm certainly not _that_ strong."

"Would destroying just the control console be enough?" Sam asked.

"Anubis might have the knowledge of how to rebuild it. It would delay him, but it might not stop him."

"Would he not have the knowledge of how to construct the entire device?" Teal'c questioned.

Daniel shook his head. "The Ancients built it after they ascended, Teal'c. They used powers that Anubis could not."

Jack thought of something. "Okay, if they built it after they went glowy, what happened to their policy of not interfering?"

"Well, it could be that they hadn't made that policy yet, or maybe they all thought that they had the obligation to fix things since they probably played a big part in accidentally spreading the plague across the galaxy. I mean, when you think about it, the Stargates likely had a big role in the plague being spread from planet to planet as infected people traveled through them. And the Ancients would also have been traveling the galaxy via ships."

"Infecting still more planets," Sam remarked.

Daniel nodded. "At this point, it doesn't really matter what their reason was. One way or another, we need to convince the Jaffa to destroy that thing."

--------------------------------------------------

By that evening, Daniel was so tense that he couldn't sit still. Not going home, he prowled his office restlessly. The feeling of impending danger was growing steadily stronger. At last, he knew that he had to try to see what that danger was.

Sitting in his chair, he closed his eyes and cast his mind into the future. For a moment, he saw nothing, then, suddenly, it struck with such violence that he toppled from the chair. Thrown out of the vision, Daniel sat stunned on the floor. He then scrabbled to his feet, grabbed the phone, and dialed a number he'd called many times.

"This had better be good," Jack said. "I've got a piece of prime rib sitting before me that's begging to be eaten."

"Jack, Anubis is going to attack Dakara. I just saw it. He's going to send more ships than the rebel fleet can hope to stop. It'll be a massacre."

"Crap. When is this going to happen?"

"I don't know, but really soon."

Jack gazed down at his steak longingly, then sighed deeply.

"I'm on my way," he said.

Daniel contacted Sam, who was also still on base. They met with Jack in the briefing room once the general arrived.

"Okay, what exactly did you see?" Jack asked Daniel.

"I saw Anubis attack with a big fleet of ships. At the same time, supersoldiers came pouring through the gate. Only a few of the Jaffa had the energy weapons, so they had no hope of stopping the soldiers. They were overrun, slaughtered. That's all I saw. The vision hit me so hard that it overwhelmed me."

"And you don't know when this will happen?" Sam asked.

"No, just that it's soon."

Jack gave a short nod. "All right. Carter, how many of those weapons do we have?"

"We've been stockpiling them, sir, so we have quite a few."

"Get them crated up and ready for transport. We'll take them with us to Dakara tomorrow, along with some rocket launchers and whatever else we think we might need. Daniel, I know you're not gonna like this, but we need to figure out a way to destroy that temple on Dakara if the Jaffa say no, although I'm hoping that, once you tell them what you saw, they'll be smart enough to realize that it needs to be destroyed."

Daniel nodded. Normally, he wouldn't have wanted to defy the Jaffa and destroy something that held such importance to them against their will, but the fate of the galaxy was on the line. That was a lot more important than any historical monument.

"We'd probably have to use the nuclear device, sir," Sam said. "Anyone in the area would be killed."

"Then we'd have to warn them in time for them to evacuate," Jack responded.

"This might irreparably damage our relationship with the Jaffa," Daniel said.

"I'm willing to take that chance."

Sam took charge of seeing to it that all the weapons were boxed up and taken to the gate room. She also made sure that a certain other item was put in a crate as well: the Naquadah-enhanced nuclear bomb that would have been used to destroyed the temple if they hadn't succeeded in holding off Anubis' first attack. Sam now wished that it had been left there. It would have been a lot easier to use it. Now, they'd have to somehow sneak it back into the temple.

Dressed as Dan'yar, Daniel went through to Dakara. He contacted Teal'c, who was on one of the ships in orbit, and got beamed aboard. He met with his teammate and Bra'tac privately.

"We've got a problem," he announced. He told them about his vision. "The SGC is getting all the Telchak energy weapons we have ready to bring here, but even with them, we might not be able to stop Anubis from taking back the planet."

"This is grave news," Bra'tac said. "We must tell those who are assembling tomorrow that Anubis' attack is imminent and stress how vital it is to destroy the Ancient weapon before he comes."

"Will they listen?" Daniel asked. "Are all of them going to see that the temple isn't important enough to risk the whole galaxy for?"

"They will have to be made to see," Teal'c declared firmly.

Daniel looked at the two Jaffa. "Guys, I need to tell you that we're also bringing a nuke with us. We're going to try to sneak it into the temple. If the Jaffa say no, we're going to destroy the temple anyway."

Teal'c and Bra'tac exchanged a long look.

"Such an act would threaten the Jaffa alliance with the Tau'ri," the older man said, "but I do not disagree with your plan."

Teal'c nodded in agreement. "We must destroy that weapon, regardless the cost."

--------------------------------------------------

The next day, as Daniel, Sam and Jack prepared to meet with the Jaffa leaders, the crates full of weapons were transported to Dakara. SG-3, 5 and 11 were put in charge of distributing the weapons to all of the Jaffa on the planet and have the remainder taken up to the ships in orbit.

Daniel's tension had settled into a solid knot in his stomach, his sixth sense sending him a loud, insistent warning. He tried to calm his nerves. As Dan'yar, he needed to appear calm, self-assured and in control.

At last, the time came for him, Sam and Jack to leave.

"Daniel, you might want to dial it down a bit," Jack said as they stood in the gate room, awaiting the address to be connected.

Daniel frowned. "What?"

"That look on your face is scaring _me_, Daniel, and I know you."

Perplexed, the archeologist looked at Sam.

"Your expression is kind of . . . intense," she told him.

"Oh. Sorry." Daniel attempted to relax a bit.

"Better," Jack said. "At least now you're not going to scare all the Jaffa off the planet before we get a chance to talk to them . . . although that might have had its advantages."

The gate finished dialing, and the three of them went through. The members of SG-3 were waiting on the other side.

"How's it going, Reynolds?" Jack asked.

"We've pretty much got all the energy weapons distributed. Most of the Jaffa on the planet are now armed with them, and several crates are onboard the ships. Nobody questioned why we were doing this today."

"Good." Jack lowered his voice. "What about the nuke?"

Reynolds shook his head. "We haven't been able to get it in that building, General. The Jaffa have the place under guard. The nuke is stashed in one of the other buildings."

"Is it close enough to do the job?"

"That I don't know."

"Sir, the device is inside the mountain, and it was built by the Ancients," Sam said. "If it's as tough as the Stargates, we need to make sure that nuke is sitting right under it."

"Right," Jack responded. "We'll get it in there somehow." He turned back to the leader of SG-3. "While we're in there talking to the head honchos, I want you and the other teams to start quietly spreading the word that Dan'yar says Anubis will be attacking soon, perhaps even today. I want all of them prepared for battle."

"Yes, sir."

Jack, Daniel and Sam went to the place where the Jaffa leaders were meeting, the same room as the previous meeting.

As they entered, a wave of silence swept out from their location to fill the room as each Jaffa became aware that Dan'yar had arrived. Daniel felt the eyes of every one of them on him as he, Sam and Jack walked forward. He saw several familiar faces, including Ishta, Ka'ter, M'zel, Raknor, and Har'tec. Toloc was standing with Teal'c and Bra'tac, so that's whom the archeologist aimed for.

"Dan'yar," the old Jaffa greeted.

Daniel dipped his head in greeting. "Toloc."

"We have awaited your arrival before starting the discussions."

"Thank you. First, there's something I must tell all of you." He looked about at the other Jaffa and raised his voice. "Last night, I had a vision of the future. I saw Anubis attack Dakara with many ships and soldiers." The announcement stirred a reaction among the Jaffa.

"Let him come!" one shouted. "We are strong, and our numbers many. We will defeat him."

Daniel shook his head. "In the future I saw, you were defeated. To try to prevent this from happening, the Tau'ri have been distributing among you weapons that can kill the Kull Warriors. I see that most of you have one. But those weapons might not be enough to stop Anubis from taking back Dakara. If the temple falls back into his hands, he'll have a weapon that could kill all of us."

"When is he going to attack?" Raknor asked, frowning.

"I don't know, but it's going to be very soon. It might even be today. This is why we _have_ to destroy the temple. We have to make sure that Anubis can never use it."

That got an even stronger reaction, some of agreement, some disagreement.

"Perhaps you did not see clearly in your vision," a Jaffa suggested.

"Okay, I'm going to step in here, if you don't mind, and make one thing crystal clear," Jack said. "His visions are_never_ wrong. Never. If he saw it happen, then it'll happen, unless we do something to stop it. Dan . . . Dan'yar is right. We've done what we can to prevent the slaughter by arming you guys with those weapons, but that may not be enough. They can't stop the ships that are going to come. Now, you can bet that the main reason why Anubis is so eager to get this place back is that weapon. Once it's gone, he'll have less reason to attack this place."

"O'Neill is correct," Bra'tac said. "Destroying the weapon will lessen Anubis' interest in Dakara."

"But it would also destroy something that is sacred to all Jaffa," one man said. "Our race was born in this very place."

Teal'c took a step forward. "Is a dead place of stone and earth more precious than the lives of our children and children's children? Is the history within these walls of greater value than the future of our people? We have fought these long years for a future without slavery, yet you would throw it all away to preserve this?" He gestured at the structure around them.

"Teal'c speaks wisely," Bra'tac declared. "Of what use will this temple be if there are no Jaffa left to revere it?"

Ka'ter spoke up. "Two years ago, my brother died in the battle against the Goa'uld. He did not give his life for Dakara, he gave it for all of us, all Jaffa who yearn for freedom. I doubt there are many of you here who has not lost a friend or loved one in this fight. If Anubis wins back Dakara and uses that weapon to destroy us, then my brother and every other rebel Jaffa who has perished in this fight will have died for nothing."

"Then we must use it against him!" shouted Ishta. All eyes turned to her. "We must use it to strike at Tartarus, the center of his power. When his ships come, we will use it to destroy all who are upon them. This weapon can be used to defeat our enemies."

"Ishta, it wouldn't just kill the Kull Warriors," Daniel said. "We don't know how to set it to kill just them. In fact, at this point, we don't even know how to set it to killed anything except Replicators."

"Then we must learn," said Har'tec.

Daniel shook his head. "You don't understand. Unless it was set perfectly, when that weapon was fired, it would wipe out not only your target, but also everyone on this planet, in this entire solar system, plus the solar system of the planet you targeted."

"More than that," Sam said. "According to the sensors on the ships that were here when we used the weapon against the Replicators, the energy wave expanded well beyond this solar system. We don't know how far, but it could have been a great distance. You could wipe out all life on nearby worlds, if you fired it."

"Would it not be worth the lives of thousands to save the lives of countless billions?" reasoned one Jaffa. Several nodded in agreement.

Daniel didn't like how this was going. How could he convince them that it was too great a risk to keep the weapon while they tried to figure out how to make it work?

In the next second, it suddenly didn't matter anymore. Jack and Sam felt Daniel stiffen beside them, eyes locked on some distant sight.

"It's too late," he announced. "Anubis is coming. He'll be here within minutes."


	52. Chapter 52

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Daniel ran across the huge courtyard, Jack and Sam beside him. All around them, Jaffa were also running, some to places where they could take cover, others to waiting scout and cargo ships that would take them up to the orbiting Jaffa fleet. Teal'c and Bra'tac were already onboard their mothership, getting ready to face the approaching enemy ships.

"General O'Neill, this is Reynolds," said a voice over the radio.

"O'Neill here," Jack responded without stopping.

"We're at the nuke, sir, but the number of Jaffa guarding the temple has quadrupled. Are they going to let us pass?"

"Well, if they don't, they'll have to face Daniel."

At that moment, Daniel came to a sudden halt. He spun around, eyes on the sky.

"Jack! He's here!" he yelled.

Two seconds later, Teal'c called over the radio that Anubis' fleet had just arrived.

"Dammit!" Jack cursed. He got on the radio. "Reynolds, try to get that nuke as close to the temple as you can."

"Jack!" Daniel yelled again. The general turned to see him looking at the Stargate. In the next second, it burst to life. In the second after that, supersoldiers began pouring through by the dozens.

"Take cover!" Jack yelled as he began firing.

Daniel struck at the emerging Kull Warriors, throwing several of them right back into the wormhole they'd emerged from. He then ran with Sam and Jack to the closest structure, dodging weapons fire the whole way.

The Kull Warriors kept coming, the dozens becoming scores, the scores growing into hundreds. Daniel kept flinging them back into the active wormhole, but he couldn't get them all. There were far too many, and they were coming too fast. The air was crackling with the energy from the Telchak weapons and the destructive beams from the supersoldier weapons.

High in the sky about the planet, ships battled over the fate of the galaxy. Ironically, it was the legacy the Replicators had left behind that proved to be one of the greatest assets of the Jaffa. The ships that once held Replicators had been modified by them, the weapons more powerful, the shields stronger, the engines quicker and more responsive. But even with those ships, the battle was not going well, the numbers they faced more numerous than the Jaffa had anticipated.

It was in the midst of all of this that a new vision came to Daniel's mind, a vision so horrifying that it froze the breath in his lungs.

"Oh, God," he whispered. He looked at Sam and Jack. "Anubis is going to use the weapon. He's going to wipe out everything, every life in the galaxy."

"Dear God," Sam gasped.

"He's going to wipe it all out, then start over, make things the way he wants them to be. I should have seen this before. I should have known."

Jack got on the radio. "Teal'c! You need to take out Anubis' ship at all costs! Anubis plans on firing the weapon and killing every living thing in this galaxy!"

Up on their ship, Teal'c, Bra'tac and Aron shared a look of horror.

"We hear you, O'Neill," Teal'c said into the radio. "Tell the others," he then told Aron. "Tell them to target Anubis' ship. It must be stopped."

Just then, their ship was struck a devastating blow by the weapons of the very ship they were intent upon destroying.

"Shields have dropped to forty-eight percent," Aron said. "We have lost some of our weapons."

Teal'c's expression hardened. "Set the engines to overload and aim the ship directly at Anubis' ship. We will fly it right into her."

"Anubis' ship still has its shields," Bra'tac pointed out. "It might not be destroyed."

"No, but it will surely be greatly damaged, perhaps enough that the other ships can finish it off."

Bra'tac nodded, approving of the plan. He turned to Aron. "Do it. We will drop shields just before impact. And warn our brothers to keep their distance."

Aron set about the task.

Bra'tac laid a hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "We die free, my friend."

Teal'c smiled slightly. "I do not intend to die quite yet, old man."

--------------------------------------------------

The neck of another Kull Warrior snapped in two at the same time as one beside it was felled by a Telchak weapon. Not pausing, Daniel turned his attention to three more, killing two with his mind as he killed the other with his weapon. So far, he'd killed around two dozen this way, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers still alive. If it had been Jaffa he was fighting, he could have wiped out dozens at once with his power, but to strike hard enough to do the same thing with the supersoldiers would have quickly overtaxed Daniel. So, he was forced to kill them just a few at a time. It wasn't enough. There had to be something more he could do. All at once, he realized that maybe there was.

"Jack, we have to get to higher ground," he called out. "I need to see the whole courtyard."

Not questioning him, Jack got on the radio to SG-5, who were in the next building over.

"Harper, we're heading up top. Cover us."

"Yes, sir."

Breaking cover, Daniel, Jack and Sam headed for a building that Daniel knew had a staircase leading to the top of the artificial canyon. They were covered by SG-5, who kept up a steady barrage of weapons fire.

It seemed to take forever, but they finally made it to their target. Ka'ter was there, firing nonstop at the Kull Warriors. Daniel quickly explained where they were going, and he decided to join them. They started up the stairs, SG-5 remaining below to cover the entrance.

As they came out the top, Daniel's senses warned him that at least twenty death gliders were on their way.

"Gliders coming!" he yelled.

"Crap," Jack cursed. "As if those damn zombies weren't enough to deal with."

The death gliders came into view, heading straight toward the temple. Two of them never made it. Gathering his power, Daniel simultaneously blew up their engines.

"Yes!" Jack shouted, shooting Daniel a grin.

"Yeah, well, I can do that only so many times," the archeologist responded, "and there's a lot more than nine this time."

The remaining gliders began firing with no regard for whom they hit. It did not matter if they hit Kull Warriors since the armor of the soldiers would protect them.

Daniel attacked another glider that was now beyond the temple, bringing it down. Unlike the pilots, he could not attack indiscriminately, having to take care that he did not harm any of the many Jaffa that battled below.

"Daniel!" Sam yelled. He looked up to see one of the gliders heading right for them. Deciding to try something new, he telekinetically struck at one of the wings, forcing it suddenly and violently upward. Thrown into a spin, the pilot could not recover, and the ship crashed into the ground just a couple hundred yards away.

For a brief moment, there was a break in the glider attack, and Daniel focused his attention on carrying through with the plan he'd had when he chose to come up here.

Down below, two dozen supersoldiers received quite a shock when they abruptly found themselves floating a good hundred feet above the ground. That was followed by them being hurled swiftly through the air. Unfortunately for three of them, there happened to be an oncoming death glider in their flight path. It was pretty unfortunate for the occupants of the glider as well.

"Wahoo!" Jack cried. "Daniel, that was beautiful! God, what I wouldn't have given to see the looks on the faces of those supersoldiers."

Daniel smiled grimly. The headache had begun. It was only mild right now, but it would grow.

They were all startled by transport rings suddenly appearing a few yards away. Jack and Sam aimed their weapons, but lowered them when the identities of the new arrivals were revealed.

"Hey, nice of you to drop by," Jack told Teal'c, Bra'tac and Aron, "but aren't you supposed to be flying a—"

A bright explosion in the sky above them halted Jack's words.

"Never mind," the general said, figuring that had been their ship that just went boom.

"Our ship was greatly damaged," Teal'c said. "We set the engines to overload and aimed it at Anubis' ship. We left shortly before the impact."

Daniel focused his mind on Anubis' ship. "It's not there."

Bra'tac smiled. "Then we have succeeded in destroying it!"

Daniel's head shook. "No. No, you didn't. It managed to jump into hyperspace before your ship blew up." There was a pause. "It's back now."

"We failed," Aron said. "Nothing will stop Anubis now."

Daniel's sixth sense sent him a warning just before the Stargate opened again. The seven people on the bluff were horrified to see more Kull Warriors come flowing through.

In that moment, Daniel knew that they were going to lose. They did not have the power to stop so many. Anubis would seize the weapon, and then everything, all corporeal life in the entire galaxy, would die.

The archeologist thought of the nuclear device that sat below. If he could detonate it, they would all die, but the rest of the galaxy might be saved.

"I'm going to blow up the nuke," he said.

Jack stared at him. "Can you do it from here?"

"I think so."

Jack gave a single nod. "Then do it."

Daniel's psychic vision went to the device. His breath caught when he saw it.

"Oh, no. It's been damaged. It looks like it was hit by a barrage of supersoldier weapons fire."

"Daniel, was the core breeched?" Sam asked.

Daniel examined it. "No, but the detonator is history. I don't know how I can set it off now."

"Then we have failed," said Bra'tac. "Anubis has won."

Feeling utterly helpless, Daniel stared at the battle that waged below, the death gliders that rained down destruction. He did not have the power to stop this.

Or did he?

Daniel's mind went back to that moment in the forest fire, when he had somehow tapped into a much greater power. Could he do that again?

Closing his eyes, Daniel sought to find the place that power came from, to repeat what he had done that day. For long seconds, nothing happened, and then something . . . changed. In the midst of the fire, Daniel had not understood what was happening to him, had not realized the truth of what he'd done. Now, all at once, he did. With that knowledge, all the pieces fell into place, pieces that he hadn't even realized he possessed. Deep inside, he had always known this, all this time since he descended.

Daniel turned to look at his teammates and friends, at the woman he loved. "I understand now what Oma was trying to tell me, what she could not teach me because it was something I already knew."

"Daniel, what are you talking about?" Jack asked, getting a feeling that something big was about to happen.

"I know what I have to do now." Daniel's eyes met Sam's. "No matter what happens, always remember that I love you."

Sam started to get scared. "Daniel?"

Giving her a gentle smile full of love, Daniel backed away from them several steps. Eyes sliding shut once again, he tilted his face toward the sky, an expression of utter peace on his features as he drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. A soft glow began emanating from his body. Blue and gold, violet and blazing white, it spread across his form like a living thing, filling every part of him with a warm, glorious current of energy that penetrated down to the very core of him, alighting the atoms of his physical being and transforming them into something more.

Awestruck, the others witnessed Daniel's body become almost too bright to look upon. And then it was gone, only the light remaining as Daniel reached ascension. But what was before them was not the familiar form of one of the Ascended. It was rainbow-hued mist, and white fire, and the corona of a sun, beautiful beyond words.

The light that was Daniel rose above them as storm clouds boiled into existence in the sky, the deep rumble of thunder announcing what was to come. And then hell descended upon Anubis' army below. Massive lightning bolts streaked downward, incinerating everything they touched. The air was charged with electricity, tingling against the skin of the humans and Jaffa who stood witness to the destruction of the Kull Warriors. By the hundreds the drones fell, their virtually indestructible armor unable to protect them from the awesome power being wielded against them. The attacking ships were blasted out of the sky two and three at a time, their burning remains falling to the earth.

The power within Daniel was like a fire in his mind, filling him with its unquenchable light. As he destroyed Anubis' army, he felt something tugging at him, attempting to pull him away. With a thought, he brushed it aside. He would not let them stop him this time.

In less than a minute, there was nothing left of Anubis' forces on the planet. No sooner was that destruction over then a crackling sphere of electrical energy began to form high above. It grew to an enormous size, then streaked upward, leaving Dakara's atmosphere and aiming straight for one of Anubis' motherships above. It struck the shield of the ship and passed through effortlessly, ripping through the hull with a cataclysmic explosion. The ship blew apart. Moments later, a second ship met the same fate. And then a third and a fourth.

Upon his ship, Anubis watched the destruction of his fleet with a power that he knew could come from only one source. Knowing that he was defeated, he gave the order to retreat. But, even as he did so, he knew that it was far too late.

On Dakara, Daniel's senses, expanded far beyond the boundaries of the planet, told him that Anubis' was trying to escape. As the ship made the jump, Daniel's mind pursued it through the depths of hyperspace and destroyed the hyperdrive, throwing the ship back into normal space.

Daniel willed himself to be elsewhere. In the blink of an eye, he covered the distance Anubis' ship had traveled. He passed through its hull, heading unerringly to where he knew that Anubis was.

The half-ascended Goa'uld gazed upon Daniel as his form took on the semblance of its former appearance. Clothed in a white robe, the glow of his true self like an aura around him, Daniel stepped toward the creature who had intended to destroy all life in the galaxy, the being that had destroyed Abydos. Two Kull Warriors began firing upon him, their weapons doing no more harm than they could to a ray of sunlight. He waved his hand at them, and they fell dead to the floor.

"Your army is gone, Anubis," Daniel said. "You will not take Dakara."

"You may have stopped my plans this day, Daniel Jackson, but you cannot stop me. In the end, I will be victorious, for you do not have the power to kill me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you."

"No single Ascended Being can destroy another. Though I am not fully ascended, you still cannot destroy me, and the Others will take no action against me."

"You are right that, under normal circumstances, one Ascended cannot destroy another, and it may very well be that I could not destroy you as you are now, but you're failing to see something that I _can_ do, what the other Ascended were unable to all those years ago."

As Daniel took another step toward Anubis, the Goa'uld realized what the man was saying. "No!" he yelled. Out of desperation, he wielded the power of the Ascended that he still possessed and hurled it at Daniel. The man brushed it aside like it was no more than cobwebs. Again, Anubis struck at him, with all the power he possessed. It was like the bite of a mosquito to an elephant.

In the next instant, Anubis was seized in an invisible grip he could not break. He was wrested from the human body he had possessed, which fell by the wayside. The incorporeal essence of his being was held in place as it began to transform. He fought the transformation, but, no matter how hard he fought, it was no use. The power of the man before him was too great, a power that he had sensed all those months ago when he attempted to take possession of Daniel Jackson's body. That power was now doing what the other Ascended had failed to.

In seconds it was over. Corporeal and mortal once again, Anubis lifted his head from where he lay on the floor and looked up at Daniel with the eyes of the host he had inhabited when he ascended all those years ago.

Daniel gazed at the naked form of the newly descended Goa'uld. He could sense only one mind within it. The mind of the host was completely gone. Whether it had been lost during Anubis' ascension, sometime after that, or during what just happened, Daniel did not know. What mattered was that, in all the ways that truly mattered, the host was dead, only his physical body remaining alive.

"I could kill you now," Daniel said, "but I'm not going to. There's someone else whose right to do that precedes mine." He lifted his head and spoke to the air. "I know you're watching, and I know the truth about everything. It's time to end this. It's gone on far too long."

A glowing figure appeared a few feet away and coalesced into the form of Oma Desala.

"Hello, Oma."

"Hello, Daniel. You have finally learned what you have known all along."

"Yes, I have. I also know the truth about Anubis, how he ascended. And I know that, for all these years, the Others have refused to do anything about him because they were punishing you." Daniel looked at Anubis. "It's time for the punishment to end."

Oma also looked at the Goa'uld. "Yes, it is."

"No. You cannot kill me," Anubis said. "They will not let you."

"Oh, but you are wrong," Oma said, her voice cold and hard.

Before the Goa'uld could cry a denial, he was engulfed in flames, the heat so great that only a single scream of torment escaped his lips before he was consumed. His body blackened and charred, turning to ash in a matter of moments.

Daniel looked down upon what was left of Anubis, then he turned to Oma.

"It's over, Oma, but you and I both know that it should have been over a long time ago."

"You are right, Daniel, but I cannot change the past or the mistakes that were made."

"So, what now?"

"It's time for you to speak with the Others."

"Yes, I guess it is. But, before I do, there's something else I have to do."

Daniel walked toward the man who had been possessed by the half-ascended Anubis. The terrible sores that had covered so much of Colonel Vaselov's body had begun to appear on this man's face. The archeologist could sense the damage that had been wrought within. Kneeling beside him, Daniel held his hand above the man's unconscious body and healed him.

The man stirred, his eyes blinking open. Upon seeing Daniel, he gasped and drew back in fear.

"Don't be afraid," Daniel told him gently. "No one will harm you."

"Who are you? What is this place?"

"Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"Two soldiers in black armor came to my village. Some of us tried to fight them but were killed. They grabbed me, then, suddenly, I was here. They brought me before a man whose face was . . . was covered in terrible sores. That is all that I can remember."

"It's all right now. The ones who took you are dead. Do you know where your planet is?"

"My planet? I-I am no longer on my world?"

"No, you're on a spaceship, most likely very far away from your world." Daniel could see the man's mind grasping that concept.

"Can you take me home?" he asked.

Daniel smiled at him. "Yes, I can."

Closing his eyes, Daniel focused the ability that allowed him to look into the future. But, instead of the future, he gazed into the past. With a control and accuracy he could not have achieved in his human body, Daniel found the moment in time before this man was taken from his world. He saw Anubis' ship come to a halt above a planet whose inhabitants knew nothing of the Goa'uld or the threat to the galaxy. It took only a moment for Daniel to learn the location of that planet.

Opening his eyes, he smiled at the man. "It's all right. I can take you home now."

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Though a couple of minutes had passed since Daniel's ascension and his destruction of Anubis' entire fighting force, Sam, Jack and Teal'c were still in shock over what had just happened. It was no surprise, then, that it was Bra'tac who first spoke.

"Though I witnessed it with my own eyes, I still find it hard to believe."

"Daniel Jackson has again ascended, and, this time, the Others did not stop him from striking at Anubis," Teal'c said in wonder.

"And, unless I've got things totally wrong, Daniel ascended all by himself." Jack looked skyward. "Way to go, Daniel!" he shouted, hoping his friend could hear him.

The numbness of shock was beginning to fade from Sam. "But . . . but that's not possible. Once someone has descended, they can't ascend again without help."

"Well, Daniel must have figured out a way. Doesn't surprise me any."

"Will he return?" Ka'ter asked in a hushed voice. What he had just witnessed was still reeling in his mind. If there truly were gods, then Daniel Jackson had become as close to being like one as it was possible to be.

Ka'ter's question sobered the others. Would they ever see Daniel again?

"He'll come back," Jack stated, determined to believe so. "He's just busy taking care of old Anubis."

A frightening thought came to Sam. "But what if he tried to destroy Anubis again, and the Others stopped him like Oma did last time? There's no telling what they will do to him."

"Uh uh. Don't think like that, Carter. Daniel's going to be fine. You'll see."

"In the meantime, there is much to be done," Bra'tac stated.

They descended into the canyon. As they headed across the battlefield, their eyes looked about at all the bodies. Many Jaffa had died this day, but they had not died in vain. The galaxy had been saved. All Jaffa had reason to feel proud of this great victory that they had helped to achieve.

A Jaffa came up to them. "Master Bra'tac, we have received a report from our ships. All of Anubis' fleet has been destroyed. Only Anubis himself managed to escape." The man paused. "Master Bra'tac, what caused the lightning to fall from the sky? What force created that mighty power that destroyed Anubis' fleet?"

The Master Jaffa smiled. "Tell all our brothers and sisters that it was Dan'yar himself who did those things. He has become one of the great ones, ascended and immortal, with the power of the universe at his command. And tell them that Anubis will not escape Dan'yar's wrath. Even now, Dan'yar pursues him and will bring about his destruction."

His face filled with awe, the Jaffa bowed and hurried off to pass on the news.

The group made their way to the Stargate. Sam dialed Earth, and Jack briefly filled them in on what happened, not telling them about Daniel, just that they'd won the battle. He ordered them to pass on the news to General Hammond.

Toloc came striding up to them.

"Is it true?" he asked. "Was it Dan'yar who did those things we witnessed?"

Teal'c smiled. "It is true, my brother. We witnessed his ascension with our own eyes."

"Then it appears that he may have succeeded in stopping Anubis as well. I have just been told that a small fleet of rebel ships on their way here have found a lone mothership only a few light-years away. Its engines have been damaged, its shields down."

Jack grinned. "Hah. Daniel caught the bastard."

Toloc frowned. "Daniel?"

"The one you know as Dan'yar is, in truth, Daniel Jackson of SG-1," Bra'tac explained, figuring that there was no need to keep the secret any longer.

Toloc wasn't the only one surprised by the revelation. Aron's eyes widened. "Daniel Jackson? The Tau'ri who opened Earth's Stargate and helped destroy Ra?"

Jack grinned even more broadly. "The very one."

"But how can that be?" Toloc asked. "Did he always possess this power?"

"No. If he had, we'd have taken care of the Goa'uld a long time ago. It's a really long story. This isn't the first time Daniel's ascended."

"When he was made human again, he was left with a great power that he eventually discovered and began using," Teal'c said. "It is then that he became Dan'yar, that name protecting his true identity from all who would seek to kill him. Only a few knew the truth, and every one of them swore to die before revealing it."

Ka'ter nodded, a small smile on his face. "I am among those who made that oath. But now that there is no need to keep it, I will reveal to all the true name of the man that we owe our lives to."

Toloc nodded. "As will we all. Shall I tell our brothers to destroy Anubis' ship?"

"No," Bra'tac replied. "We must learn of Anubis' fate."

Jack agreed with the plan. "We need to get over there."

As they made arrangements to be picked up by one of the ships, Sam noticed the look on Jack's face.

"What's wrong, sir?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about how we're going to keep Daniel from killing us all when he comes back and finds out we blabbed to the Jaffa about who Dan'yar really is."

Despite her worry for Daniel, that comment made Sam smile. Jack was right. Daniel was definitely not going to be happy about that.

A while later, she, Jack, Teal'c and SG-3 were on one of the surviving rebel ships, along with Bra'tac, Ka'ter Aron and a force of thirty other Jaffa, all armed with energy weapons. But there was no need to use the weapons. When they boarded Anubis' ship, they discovered that the supersoldiers onboard paid no attention to them. The Kull Warriors wandered about aimlessly, without purpose or direction.

"What's wrong with them?" Jack asked.

"They are like ships without a pilot," Bra'tac observed.

Jack suddenly began to smile. "Yes," he said in triumph. "He did it."

Sam looked at him. "You think that Daniel killed Anubis."

"It seems that there could be no other explanation for this," Teal'c stated. "If Anubis was alive and able to control them, they would be attacking us."

As the other Jaffa fanned out to check the rest of the ship, the group from Earth went with Bra'tac, Ka'ter and Aron to the bridge, where they found two dead drones and what appeared to be a pile of ash.

"Another drone?" Jack wondered, poking at the ash with the toe of his boot.

"No, it couldn't be," Sam replied. "Their armor wouldn't burn to ash."

"Perhaps it was one of Anubis' Jaffa," Aron suggested.

"I do not believe that there are any Jaffa on this ship," Bra'tac responded, "and, if there were, Daniel Jackson would have shown them some measure of mercy." He waved at the ash. "He would not have done this."

"You are right, old friend," Teal'c agreed.

Positive that either Anubis was dead or had been rendered harmless, the thirteen people left the ship, leaving the task of killing the Kull Warriors to the other Jaffa. The ship would then be secured and the engines examined to see if they could be repaired.

Three hours later, Jack and all of the SG teams stood at the Stargate. It was time to go home and await news of what had become of Daniel.

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Jack, Sam and Teal'c were in the briefing room. Bra'tac had not accompanied them back to Earth, wanting to help with things on Dakara, including the preparations for funeral ceremonies for the Jaffa who fell in battle. Teal'c would be returning to be a part of that tomorrow.

General Hammond sat down in the chair at the head of the table, Jack having happily surrendered it to him. When Hammond learned about the battle on Dakara, he had immediately headed straight to the SGC to get the whole story in person.

"All right, please explain what happened and where Doctor Jackson is," the general requested.

The others began recounting the meeting and the sudden arrival of Anubis' forces.

"Daniel discovered that Anubis intended to use the weapon, sir," Sam said. "He was going to destroy all life in the galaxy and then reseed it to his liking."

"We put up a good fight, General, but there were too many of them," Jack told the major general.

"As a last resort, Daniel was going to detonate the nuke, but it had been severely damaged and couldn't be set off."

"We believed that all was lost," Teal'c stated.

Hammond looked about at all of them. "What happened?"

"Daniel happened," Jack replied. "He did the impossible."

"Daniel Jackson ascended again," Teal'c told the major general.

Stunned, Hammond just stared at them. "Doctor Jackson ascended?"

"Yep," Jack confirmed. "And then he proceeded to wipe out Anubis' entire army. It was a sight that I'll never forget. I thought that Oma packed quite a punch, but it was nothing compared to what Daniel did."

"He destroyed Anubis' fleet in orbit, too, and disabled Anubis' ship," Sam told the leader of Homeworld Security.

Hammond absorbed all of this with a feeling of amazement. "And Anubis?"

"We're pretty sure he's dead," Jack replied. "Those supersoldiers of his, the ones that were still alive, were just wandering around like lost puppies."

"I think that, without someone to control them, they no longer had the capacity to reason out what to do," Sam surmised.

"And what of Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked.

"We don't know, sir. There was no sign of him. I really don't know how it is that he could have ascended again without help. Orlin very clearly said that, once an Ascended Being retook human form, they could not ascend again without help from one of the Others."

"Are you certain that Doctor Jackson didn't have help?"

"Based on what Daniel said before he went all glowy again, I'm pretty positive that he did it all by himself," Jack replied. "He also didn't look like the usual, run-of-the-mill member of the Ascended Club. He looked . . . different. Don't know what that means, but he was definitely different."

"The thing is that I don't know what the other Ascended would do to him because of his actions," Sam said. "They didn't stop him from attacking Anubis' forces, but that doesn't mean that they wouldn't punish him for it."

"He has broken the rules of the Ancients," Teal'c stated.

"Big time," Jack added.

Hammond frowned in concern. "Do you think that they would do what Oma Desala did last time?"

"If they did, there's a good chance that he will never recover his memories," Sam replied, no longer able to hide how upset she was. "And we may never find him. The only reason why he regained his memories last time is because Oma cheated, not removing them permanently. And we're pretty sure that she also led us to Daniel by guiding us to Vis Uban. If it was the Others who descended Daniel this time. . . ." Sam's voice faltered. She did not want to think that she might never see the man she love again. She was so afraid that, if he _was_ punished, it was in a way far worse than what Oma had done. Could Daniel be dead? Could the other Ascended have killed him for what he did? Just the thought of it was almost too much to bear.

"The fact is that we have no way of knowing what's happened to Daniel," Jack said. He, too, was getting worried. If Daniel was all right, he'd have come back to them. Jack refused to believe that his friend was dead. That simply could not be. In some form or another, Daniel was alive. Jack's greatest fear was that, wherever he was, they'd never see him again.

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The chamber was still and quiet, the light muted. The room did not really exist, but was an illusion created by the Ascended for what was to take place. Daniel stood at the center of a circle made up of several dozen of the Ascended. Oma was nearby, lending her silent support.

A man stepped forward. "What you have done violates the rules of the Ascended. You did not have the right to interfere in the lives of lowers."

"You're wrong, Senavah," Daniel responded, instantly knowing the man's name. "I had the right to protect my home and my people. You call them lowers, but they are not that to me. They are living beings whose lives are equally as important as any of yours, people who, unlike you, know that allowing evil to triumph when you have the power to stop it is wrong."

"Our laws—"

"Your laws are wrong," Daniel interrupted firmly. "I know how sacred they are to you, and I have no doubt that they were created with good intentions, but, because of them, billions have died that could have been saved." He looked about at the people about him. "You look at things in black and white. Either someone is Ascended or they are a 'lower'. Either someone is subject to your laws or they are allowed to do anything they please, no matter how horrific. Instead of creating rules that simply put a limit on what you are allowed to do, you created ones that forbid you to do anything at all unless you all decide as one that something needs to be fixed." Daniel's eyes went to Oma. "And when one of your own breaks the rules, you punish them, sometimes in ways that harm not only them but also millions of innocents."

He turned back to the others. "Oma once told me that the universe is vast and we are small, but the truth is that each and every life in the universe plays a role in it, and you do not have the right to judge whose lives are more valuable. Some of you already know this and want things to be different, but you're afraid to act because you know what will happen to you. And then there are the others among you, those who would stand up and fight but are being prevented from doing so. How many of the ascended Abydonians are being prevented from taking action? I know that Kasuf, Skaara and many of the others would not have stood by and allowed Anubis to destroy all life in the galaxy, if they could do anything at all to stop it, not even if it meant that you would punish them."

"Our laws have been in place for tens of thousands of years," Senavah said. "What right have you to judge them and us?"

"The right that any living, thinking being has to question a society that has the power to stop evil, yet deliberately turns their back on it."

"You are ignorant of the facts. You do not have the knowledge of why we have established our laws."

"Then tell me! Tell me why you stand back and do nothing, why this law of yours is so sacrosanct to you."

Senavah remained silent.

"All right, then keep your secret. I have already done what you failed to, and, now, I intend to do what I swore I would if I ever had the power."

"We will stop you."

Daniel stared at him. "No, you won't. You can't, no more than you could stop me from destroying Anubis' forces. Oh, I know you tried. I felt it. But you didn't have the power. The only way you could stop me is if every one of you worked together, and you know that you'd have one hell of a fight on your hands. But that's not going to happen because many of you realize that you do not have the right to stop me. I am not subject to your laws."

"You are ascended."

"Yes, I am ascended, but I am not one of you. You have no dominion over me." Daniel's eyes pierced into the Ancient. "Do not try to stop me, Senavah. I don't want to harm you. What I did to Anubis, I could do to any one of you as well."

With those parting words, Daniel left, and there was nothing that any of the Ascended could do to stop him.


	53. Chapter 53

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Abakka glanced nervously at the palace. Their god, absent for many generations, had returned. With his return came fear and enslavement. Several people had already lost their lives because they spoke out against being forced to serve a god they did not want.

The young man looked about at the people he'd known all his life. No longer was their laughter and smiles. The children no longer played in the streets. Instead, everyone stayed in their homes as much as possible, fearful every time they ventured out. It could not stay like this. They could not let it. Something needed to be done. But how could they hope to fight against a god?

A light in the sky caught Abakka's attention. Open-mouthed, he watched as the light descended to the earth and took on the form of a man clothed in a flowing white robe. The man glowed like the stars, his eyes as blue as the summer sky.

"Don't be afraid," he said gently to everyone. "I mean you no harm." He then turned his attention to the palace, his expression hardening. Purposefully, he strode toward it, ignoring the warnings from the men guarding it. The guards fired upon him, but the energy passed right through him. He lifted his hand, and the guards dropped as if dead to the ground. With another gesture, the doors of the palace crumbled to dust, and the man of light strode inside.

Awed and curious, Abakka ventured within, following in the footsteps of the man of light. Every person who challenged the man fell limply to the floor, every barrier that stood in his way ceased to exist.

At last, he came to the throne room. The evil god looked upon him, demanding to know who the man of light was.

"Who I am doesn't matter," the man replied. "All you need to know is that, from this day on, you will never harm another person."

"Insolence. I am a god, and you are powerless to stop me."

"Oh, really. Well, then what's about to happen is going to come as quite a shock to you."

Unafraid, the man of light walked toward the evil god. The god struck at him with the weapon that had killed Abakka's friend, Kana, just yesterday. It did no harm to the man of light, who continued forward. The god attempted to strike again, but the golden glove was ripped from his hand by an unseen force and went flying away across the room.

The evil god was suddenly pulled from his throne and forced to his knees. Abakka saw fear on his face. Then the fear changed to anger.

"How dare you attack me! I am your god!"

The man of light laughed. "You're no god, especially no god of mine. It really amazes me how egotistical the Goa'uld can be. At least Amaterasu wasn't as bad as you when I dealt with her. Actually, she tried to seduce me. And don't think that you can do any better. I'm not interested in anything you have to offer."

"What do you want?" the god asked angrily.

The man of light leaned forward and said something that Abakka could not hear. Fear returned to the evil god's face.

"No!" he cried as the man of light reached out a hand and touched him. "Noooo!"

When the man of light left minutes later, the evil god was no more.

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It was done. All the things that Daniel had been determined to do were now accomplished. On a planet that had never felt the footsteps of man he settled upon a boulder and gazed up at the nebula that painted the sky with spectacular colors. He could feel the nebula, sense the energy that resided within the death shroud of a star that died millions of years ago. He could sense everything around him, the earth, the rocks, the trees, the animal life that watched from the forest. The first time he was ascended, he was filled with wonder over how much he could feel and see, but it had been nothing compared to what he could feel now. If he closed his eyes, he could sense what lay on the other side of the world, on the other side of the solar system. He could feel even the stars that glowed in the distance. It was almost overwhelming.

And the power was there, too. It burned deep within him, waiting for the command to bring it forth. With that power, he could build civilizations and destroy them. He could cure disease, end famine, bring the dead back to life. He could transform the lives of trillions, not only in this galaxy but others as well.

And then there was the knowledge. All that had lain hidden within his subconscious mind was now open to him. It was so vast. Even in this ascended state it would take him centuries to find and uncover it all. He knew that he could add still more to that knowledge, for there were things he could learn that the other Ascended on that plane below him could not.

He could have eternity to learn, to use his power, to travel the universe and see all there was to see. But is that what he wanted? Is it what he was meant to do, what _should_ do?

Daniel closed his eyes. Images came into his mind from a world far away. He saw Jack sitting at his desk, going through a pile of paperwork. The man paused, his gaze lifting from the files, a thoughtful, somewhat sad look on his face, and Daniel knew that Jack was thinking about him.

Daniel's vision went to another individual. Teal'c was in the gym, his body moving through an exercise that reminded Daniel of tai chi the first time he saw it. He watched for several seconds, admiring the graceful flow of the Jaffa's movements, then he went on to a third and final person. Sam was in Daniel's office, one of his journals in her hands. There was sorrow on her face. He watched her for a long moment, so tempted to reach his mind out to hers and speak with her. Instead, he opened his eyes and returned his gaze to the nebula.

Several more minutes passed with Daniel deep in thought. At last, his gaze left the nebula, and he got to his feet. He knew what it was that he had to do.

--------------------------------------------------

It had been eight days since the battle at Dakara, and the Jaffa race was now truly free. Though there were still some Goa'uld scattered about, their power had been crushed for the most part, decimated by Anubis, the Replicators, and by the massive uprising of Jaffa that occurred when news of the final battle on Dakara and the ascension of "Dan'yar" spread across the galaxy. It was known for certain that Lord Yu was dead, his home planet having been attacked by one of Anubis' fleets. This news had come from his First Prime, Oshu, who had barely managed to survive the attack.

The Jaffa had already begun the process of trying to figure out what they were going to do with their freedom. Leaders needed to be appointed, but nobody could make up their minds who those leaders should be. Some believed that Teal'c should be among the ones to lead them, which made Jack wonder if they'd soon be losing the big guy. Freeing his people was the goal Teal'c had strived for all these years, the main reason why he fought with the Tau'ri. Now that it was a reality, would he leave to join his people in their new government? He had taken two trips back to Dakara so far.

None of these thoughts were on the mind of the person who sat in Daniel's office. Sam had spent a lot of time here throughout these eight days. She felt closer to Daniel in this room, as if a part of his spirit clung to it and all that was in it. Jack had been coming there often, too, sometimes wandering around the room, other times sitting in Daniel's chair and staring at one of the artifacts. He was still holding onto the hope that, one way or another, they'd see Daniel again. Sometimes, he wondered if his best friend was already there, watching them. But he soon rejected that thought. This wasn't like last time. If Daniel was here, he'd have revealed himself to them, especially to Sam.

Both Jack and Janet had tried to cheer Sam up, to give her hope that they'd see Daniel again, but she was sick with worry. A life without Daniel would be no life at all, but she feared that was the life she'd be doomed to live for the remainder of her days.

As Sam sat down in Daniel's chair, she once again felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "Please come back to us, Daniel," she whispered. "I can't lose you."

Closing her eyes, Sam felt rather than saw a change in the air. Eyes snapping open, she spun around, rising to her feet. There was a strange light filling the far corner of the room. Soon, it took on substance and form, a form that had Sam's tears spilling down her face.

"Daniel," she whispered.

Daniel gave her a gentle smile. "Sam."

"I was so afraid that we'd never see you again, that the other Ascended punished you for what you did."

"They probably would have if they could."

"I don't understand." Sam didn't really care about the explanations right now. All she really wanted to do was take Daniel in her arms and hold him forever. But he was one of the Ascended now. He was beautiful, otherworldly, a soft glow about him that came from within. And there was a feeling of power around him, so palpable that it was like a physical entity in itself. She had not sensed anything like that on Abydos when the ascended Daniel helped them find the Eye of Ra. What had happened to him?

"There are a lot of things I need to explain, Sam," Daniel said. His eyes gazed deeply into hers. "Right now, I just needed to see you so badly."

Sam stepped toward Daniel, reaching a hand out to him, aching to touch him. Daniel covered the distance between them. His eyes told her what he wanted to do, that he wanted to share his essence with her. Sam wanted that, too, but she feared it would be Daniel's way of saying goodbye. How could she ask him to stay and give up ascension again, the power and immortality that went with it? If the other Ascended really couldn't stop him, he would have the ability to do so much good in the universe.

"Daniel, I . . . I have no right to ask you to descend. If you have the ability to use your ascended powers, I know that you could accomplish so much, learn so much. And you'd have forever to do it. Nothing on Earth could equal that."

Daniel did not answer. Not breaking eye contact with her, he began to glow more brightly. Sam felt his mind and spirit reach out and touch her, envelop her in its brightness. Her eyes slid shut as she sensed them become one, their spirits joining. She felt Daniel's love pour into her, filling her with a warmth that seeped into every fiber of her being. Through their connection, she sensed the vastness of his power.

Sam did not know how much time had passed when she became aware that arms were around her, that her head was resting against a solid, warm body. Even as she realized this, the link faded away, and Sam found herself in Daniel's very corporeal embrace.

Sam lifted her head to look at him. "Daniel?" she whispered, afraid to believe what her senses were telling her.

"You're right, Sam. Ascended, I could do a lot of good out there. I would have the power to destroy any foe, any enemy of the human race. I could learn every secret of the universe and give it to humankind. I thought about all that I could do, all that I'd _want_ to do with that power. But I also thought about other things, and, in the end, I knew that I had to come home. I'm not yet ready for ascension, Sam. This is where I belong, here on Earth . . . and with you."

With a smile of pure joy, Sam threw her arms around Daniel and pulled his lips down to hers. The kiss was filled with all their love, deep, pure and unquenchable. It was a very long time before they parted.

Sam caressed his cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Sam. What good would living forever be without you?"

Sam's eyes filled with tears, and she kissed him again. "I feel the same way."

After sharing a moment of soft kisses and caresses, they separated. There would be more time to share the joy of their reunion later. Right now, there were other people who needed to know that Daniel had returned.

"You know, if you were seen by the person monitoring the camera feeds, the word that you're back is probably already on the way to the general," Sam remarked.

"Nope, I took care of the camera before I appeared. I wanted a moment completely alone with you." Daniel smiled. "Besides, I wasn't a hundred percent sure that my clothes would stay put when I descended. I ended up a bit . . . underdressed last time."

Sam laughed. "Well, I certainly wouldn't have minded if that had happened."

Daniel's hand brushed down her body, desire in his eyes. "There will be plenty of time for that later."

Sam's breath hitched slightly. "I'll hold you to that."

She put in a call to Jack's office. "Sir? Could you and Teal'c come down to Daniel's office?"

"What's up, Carter?"

"I need you to see something. It's important, sir."

"Okay, we'll be there in a sec."

Jack joined up with Teal'c on the eighteenth floor. They were not surprised to find the door to Daniel's office closed. During these days that the archeologist had been missing, both Sam and Jack had gotten into the habit of shutting the doors when one of them was in the office and wanted to be alone. Everyone knew that, when both doors were closed, they were not to bother the occupant.

Unsure if they should just barge in, Jack knocked.

"Come in, sir," said Sam's voice. Jack ran his card key through the lock, and the door slid open. He and Teal'c stepped into the room . . . and froze in shock.

"Hey, Jack," said a smiling Daniel.

Jack gaped at him. "Daniel?"

"The one and only."

Jack's eyes ran over his body. "Are you . . . you know?"

"Solid?"

"Yeah."

"As solid as you are."

That's all Jack needed to know. He was immediately across the room and pulling Daniel into a bear hug, laughter bubbling out of him. He drew back and cupped his best friend's cheek and neck.

"God, it's good to see you. Dammit, Daniel. You've got to stop doing things like this to us. I don't know how much more my aging heart can take."

Jack moved aside for Teal'c, who came forward and also embraced the archeologist.

"I am overjoyed that you have returned and are unharmed," the Jaffa said, his voice deep with emotion.

"So, what happened, and where have you been all this time?" Jack asked.

"It's kind of a long story. Since I'd rather not tell it twice, maybe we'd better make it an official debriefing. But I supposed that, first, I need to go to the infirmary so that Janet can make sure I am me and that everything's in good working order."

The four of them headed to the infirmary. They were all amused by the various stunned expressions on the faces of the people they passed. A few of the personnel came up and gave Daniel a warm greeting, telling him how happy they were that he was back with them.

Janet's eyes widened at the sight of Daniel when they entered the main ward. And then she was smiling happily, coming forward to give him a hug.

"Daniel. I'm so glad you're back. We've all been really worried about you."

"I know, and I'm sorry about that. But I am back, and I hope it's to stay."

After the exam, Janet gave Daniel some BDUs to wear so he wouldn't have to go to the locker room to change. He then joined the three people waiting outside.

"So, got a clean bill of health from the doc?" Jack asked.

"Uh huh. We're all set."

"Okay, then let's get that debriefing taken care of."

As they stepped into the control room a while later, loud applause erupted from the occupants. Surprised and embarrassed, Daniel smiled and thanked them. He and his teammates went up the stairs with Jack to the briefing room.

"Okay, Daniel, the floor's all yours," the general said.

"Oma told me more than once that she could not teach me what I already knew," Daniel began. "In the beginning, I thought she was only talking about my paranormal abilities, but it was much more than that. On Dakara, I finally figured it all out, what it was that I've known all along but couldn't see."

"Which is?"

"First of all, that I had the power to ascend again completely on my own, without any help at all from the Others."

"Orlin said that wasn't possible," Sam told him.

"I know, and that is true for the other Ascended, but not for me. I don't know why. Maybe it's because of how I was changed by my previous ascension. Maybe it's something else. I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Okay, so you figured out that you could ascend again and decided to go for it," Jack said. "But how did you know that you could get away with stopping Anubis this time? Oma put a stop to it before."

"There are many planes of existence between this one and ascension, each one higher than the next. When they tried to descend Anubis, he ended up on a plane halfway between ours and the one that the Ascended are on."

Sam nodded. "You talked about that before, when we were on Atlantis."

"Yes. You likened it to rungs on a ladder. You know that incident in the forest fire, when Janet thought I tapped into something in my brain that I'd never used before?"

"Yeah."

"What I really did was ascend a rung or two up that ladder. I was no longer on the same plane of existence, but it was one close enough to ours that I remained corporeal. The problem was that, because I wasn't even aware of what I'd done, I didn't stay there. I slipped back down the ladder. But when my body descended back to this plane, my consciousness didn't. It got sort of stuck until I took steps to get it back where it was supposed to be."

"Wow," Sam said. "That's amazing."

"There's more. The plane the Ascended exist upon is not the highest one."

Surprised, Jack said, "It isn't?"

"No. I don't know how many more there are, how high they go. I just know one thing. When I ascended this time, it was to a plane _above_ the Others."

"Holy Hannah," Sam murmured.

"Whoa," said Jack. "And you knew that was going to happen?"

"I knew that I could make it happen. If I hadn't known that, I'd have believed that there would be no point in ascending again since, the moment I acted against Anubis, I'd be stopped."

"So, what happened next?"

"After I ascended and began attacking Anubis' army, I felt the Others trying to stop me, to pull me away as Oma did that first time."

Jack grinned. "But they couldn't, could they. They couldn't touch you."

"If they had all worked together as a single entity, they probably could have, but many of the Ascended realized that they had no right to even try to stop me."

"Because you weren't exactly one of them," Sam guessed.

Daniel nodded. "Not only was I not on the same plane of existence as them, I had managed to reach it all on my own. I was ascended, but not like they are, so their laws did not apply to me. Now, if I'd had a little help getting there, like from Oma, then it might have been different. All of the Ascended might then have been of the opinion that, because I didn't ascend 'honestly', they'd have the right to stop me. That's why Oma couldn't tell me about this."

"Oma knew you could do this?"

"Apparently so. It may be that all of the Ascended did."

"So, even though you weren't really one of them, some of them tried to stop you anyway," Jack remarked.

"Yes. But they didn't have the power."

"Sweet. I bet they were pretty pissed about that. Okay, so what happened after you finished obliterating Anubis' forces?"

"I went after Anubis, who had jumped into hyperspace. Once I stopped his ship, I confronted him."

"And destroyed him," Teal'c said.

"No."

"No?" Jack, Sam and Teal'c all said at the same time, surprised.

"Daniel, _please_ don't tell us that guy is still alive," Jack pleaded.

"No, he's dead, Jack."

"If you did not destroy him, how did he die?" Teal'c asked.

"Well, first of all, I did what the other Ascended were unable to."

"What's that?" Jack queried.

"I descended him, all the way."

"You made him a snake again?"

"Yes, within the original host's body. I could sense that the host's mind was gone, though. The only consciousness that had survived was Anubis."

"He would have been mortal again, easily killed," Teal'c remarked with satisfaction, wishing that he had been there to witness this.

"Okay, so _that's_ when you killed him," Jack assumed.

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because there was someone else whose right to kill him superceded mine."

"Who?" Sam asked.

"Oma. You see, Anubis didn't ascend on his own."

"Oh, don't tell me," Jack groaned. "Oma did it?"

"She helped him, just as she'd helped many others. He deceived her, made her believe that he'd found enlightenment."

"She sure isn't very smart for a so-called enlightened being."

"She knows that she was a fool for believing him, Jack, and she's paid bitterly for her mistake. When the attempt to descend Anubis failed, the other Ascended could have chosen to destroy him with their combined powers, but, instead, they decided to allow him to live and remain free as a . . . lesson to Oma."

"A lesson?!" Jack exclaimed in disbelief.

Sam was outraged. "You mean that all the horrible things Anubis did after his ascension, all the people he killed, the suffering he cause, was allowed to go on because the Ascended were using him as a way of punishing her?"

"Pretty much," Daniel replied. "The only thing they did was forbid Anubis to do anything that he couldn't have done as an ordinary Goa'uld, but I think even that rule got bent. Anubis used knowledge he gained while ascended. There are things he did that he wouldn't have been able to if he hadn't gained the knowledge of the Ancients."

"And what about when Anubis decided to destroy all life in the galaxy?" Jack asked. "Would they have let that happen as a lesson to her, too, their way of saying, 'We told you so'?"

"I don't know. I can't be sure of this, but I think they wanted Oma to be the one to fix things," Daniel responded.

"You mean destroy him herself?"

"No. She wouldn't have had the power to kill him, not alone."

"Then how was she supposed to deal with him?"

"By fighting him. Though two Ascended Beings can't kill each other, they can fight each other, focus their entire power upon one another. In a battle like that, neither Ascended Being can do anything else except fight the other. It takes all their energy and concentration."

"For how long?" Sam asked.

"Forever, Sam. If Oma had chosen to fight Anubis, they would have been locked in battle forever, or at least until one of them surrendered."

"And that's what the Others wanted Oma to do?"

"I think so."

"Do you think she'd have done it if you hadn't stepped in?" Jack questioned.

"I'd like to believe that she would."

"So, it was Oma Desala who killed Anubis," Teal'c determined.

Daniel nodded. "After all these years, she was at last able to pay him back for the way he deceived her."

"It seems to me that she should have had the guts to do something about him a long time ago," Jack stated.

Daniel knew that Jack was right. As much as he respected Oma, she failed in her responsibility to rid the galaxy of the evil that she had unleashed upon it. Perhaps she had believed that, as long as Anubis didn't go too far, it was more important for her to continue her work in helping people toward ascension. Until the last few years, Anubis hadn't posed a major threat.

"Okay, so what about the others?" Jack asked. "If you hadn't been around and Oma didn't get off her butt and stop Anubis, would the other Ascended have let him wipe out everyone and start from scratch?"

"I wish I could say no for sure, but I honestly don't know. I'm afraid that most of them are pretty arrogant when it comes to us 'lowers', which is how they refer to us."

Sam shook her head. "Even though they used to be like us."

"Well, it's over now," Jack said. "Anubis really is dead this time. Wait a minute. That pile of ash we found on Anubis' ship. That was him?"

"Yeah, that was him. I think Oma was pretty pissed off."

"Ya think?"

"Not only is Anubis dead, the few Goa'uld who still survive have been stripped of most of their power," Teal'c said in satisfaction. "Their reign has been brought to an end, and the Jaffa are free."

Jack patted Teal'c's back. "Which is the best news ever."

The other three noticed the look on Daniel's face.

"Daniel? Is there something else you wish to share with the class?" Jack inquired.

The archeologist looked into Teal'c's eyes. "The Goa'uld are gone, Teal'c."

"What do you mean gone?" Jack asked.

"You killed them all?!" Sam exclaimed.

"No, I had no right to do that, Sam."

"Then what did you do?"

"I freed their hosts."

"You removed the symbiotes from their hosts?" Teal'c questioned in amazement.

"Yes. Like Baal's host, many of them would have died within minutes, if I hadn't been able to prevent it. A lot of them had been under the power of their symbiotes for so long that their minds were . . . lost. I brought them back and took away all the memories of their times as hosts. They'll be able to live the rest of their lives in relative peace. Only the most recent hosts decided to keep all their memories."

Sam smiled and took Daniel's hand, knowing how much joy it must have brought him to give all those people their freedom.

"What did you do with the symbiotes?" Jack asked.

"I took them home."

A very surprised Sam stared at him. "To P3X-888?"

Jack knew which planet that was. "The planet Chaka came from?"

"And the Goa'uld," Daniel added. "It's where they originated. What better place for them to go back to?"

"So, what's going to happen if one of them manages to get into an Unas? They'll go though the gate, and it'll start all over."

Daniel shook his head. "That's not going to happen. I put them in a lake that's on an island. There are no Unas there. In fact, there aren't even any animals bigger than a fox. I warned the Unas about it, told them to make that island taboo. They'll do what I said."

"Daniel, the Goa'uld can't survive for long in ordinary water," Sam told him. "We learned that years ago. Certain conditions have to exist. I don't know if it's that way with the native Goa'uld who are on 888, but it is for those who have been in a host for any length of time."

"I know, Sam. I took care of that. I also put a few safeguards in place that will guarantee that no unwitting pilot is going to land his ship there and get taken by one of the Goa'uld."

Teal'c's lips curved with satisfaction. "So, the Goa'uld will live out the remainder of their lives trapped upon that world, knowing that they will never again taste freedom or power. It is a fitting end for them."

"I wonder how long the older Goa'uld will live without a sarcophagus," Sam mused. "They're already long past their natural life span."

"Hopefully, they'll all die of old age very, very soon," Jack said. He turned to Daniel. "So, that's what you've been doing all this time, huh, hunting down Goa'uld all over the galaxy. Too bad you couldn't get frequent flyer miles. I bet you'd have really racked up the points."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Well, I did do a few other things as well, one of which is that I destroyed the weapon on Dakara. It's too much power to be in anyone's hands."

"Yet the temple and the mountain still stand," Teal'c said.

"Yes, well, there are advantages to being ascended. The control console still exists, but the rest of the device is gone."

"I wish you'd let us know where you were, Daniel," Sam said. "We were all really worried about you."

"I'm sorry, Sam. Time flows differently for the Ascended. I didn't realize that I'd been gone that long. Also, I needed to do everything as quickly as possible. I didn't want to take the chance that the other Ascended would suddenly decide to get together and stop me. After all, I was doing a whole lot of meddling in the affairs of 'lowers'. It's done now, and there's no reason for them to undo it."

Jack turned to Teal'c. "So, do you want to ask if it was him?"

Daniel looked at Jack, then at the Jaffa. "Ask if what was me?"

It was Teal'c who replied. "Some time after the battle, the bodies of all the Jaffa who died in battle on Dakara vanished from the structure they had been temporarily placed within. We had believed that perhaps Oma Desala ascended them as she did the people of Abydos. We hoped that it had been you who did so."

"Um, actually, they weren't ascended at all."

"They weren't?" Sam responded.

"No. I wanted to heal them all, but I was a little pressed for time, so I took them to an empty planet and put them in a form of stasis. Oma helped. Before coming here, I went back and healed them. By now, they've probably all gone home."

"Then the Jaffa owe you another great debt," Teal'c said with deep gratitude and respect.

"I just wish I could have saved them all. There was nothing I could do about the Jaffa who were in ships that were destroyed."

"They fought and died bravely to save the galaxy. No more honorable death could any Jaffa have." Teal'c studied the archeologist closely. "Daniel Jackson, there is something I wish to know."

"What's that?"

"Yet again you had the power of the Ascended, only, this time, your hands were not tied. You could have done great things with that power, destroyed any enemy that threatened humanity. Yet, instead, you chose to return to human form, a mortal whose power is limited."

"And you want to know why. There's more than one reason, Teal'c. One of the biggest is that I am not a god, and I don't have the right to act like one. How much could I have used my power before it was too much? That kind of power is a dangerous thing. I think that one of the reasons why the Ascended made their laws is that they felt that, if they were forbidden to use their power except under extraordinary circumstances, the lure of that power would never take hold. I can definitely understand that concern, although, by making their rules, they went too far."

"You chose to descend so that you could not be corrupted by the power," Teal'c said.

"Well, no, not exactly. I'd like to believe that wouldn't happen. What I feared was that my desire to help people, to protect those who are in danger, would have caused me to step over the line, go too far. What happened with Orlin and the people of Velona was an important lesson on what can happen when one of the Ascended meddles in the fate of a civilization. Helping the Velonans was done with the best of intentions, but it backfired catastrophically. I still believe that it's wrong for the Ascended not to lend a helping hand, not to give aid when it's really needed, but a line would have to be drawn somewhere." Daniel paused, staring at the table. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to draw that line."

Sam understood what Daniel was saying. His desire to help, to do all he could to make a difference, had always been so strong, just as she'd told him that day in his tent on Vis Uban. For Daniel, not helping when he had the power to do so would have been agony. His need to help would have driven him to do things he probably shouldn't have, interfered in issues that he should have stayed out of. In the years that she'd known Daniel, there had been more than one occasion when he'd stepped forward and interfered when he probably shouldn't have because the goodness in his heart and his natural instinct to give aid drove him to do so. She could only imagine, though, how hard it must have been for him to give up the power to help so many.

"I understand what you're saying, Daniel," she told him, "and I do agree with your reasoning, although I know it must have been hard for you to make that decision."

"No, it wasn't easy, but, in the end, I knew it was the right decision to make. Maybe someday I'll be wise enough and . . . and strong enough to draw the line, to know when it's all right for me to help and when I need to accept that I have to leave things as they are, but I'm not there yet." Daniel looked at the three people he cared most about. "Even if it that hadn't been an issue, I couldn't have remained ascended, not for very long. To do so would have meant that I'd have to sacrifice something that means more to me than anything else: I would have had to give up everything that I have here. Yes, I could have dropped in for visits on occasion, but that's all they could ever have been, and every time I had to say goodbye, it would have hurt too much. There was a time when I could have said goodbye and begun a new life elsewhere, but it's not like that anymore." His eyes went to Sam. "What I have here is too important to me now. If there was some reason that made leaving necessary, then I would go, but it's not something that I would ever want to do."

"We wouldn't want it, either, Daniel," Jack told him.

"We are greatly pleased that you chose to return to us," Teal'c said.

Sam hugged Daniel, kissing him tenderly. "Yes, we are. You belong here with us."

Daniel's gaze went to the tabletop. "I, um . . . _did_ do a few other things besides take care of the Goa'uld, though."

Jack's mouth quirked upward. "Now, why does that not surprise me? Actually, I'd have been surprised if you _didn't_ do anything else."

"What other things did you accomplish, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"Well, first, I went to BP6-3Q1."

Sam and Teal'c exchanged a knowing glance.

"That address sounds familiar," Jack said.

"It should, Jack. It wasn't all that long ago that you heard it again. It's the planet that those big bugs were on, the homeworld of the people who built the cities our off-world colony will be inhabiting. Ever since I learned about the Kenterans, I've been thinking a lot about them, wondering if any of them survived those insects."

"And?"

Daniel smiled. "They did. The insects couldn't fly across the ocean, so the population on some of the other continents and islands wasn't infected. The insects did make it to some of the other landmasses by way of infected people, but not all of them."

Sam smiled. "That's great."

"The surviving population was living in constant fear that, somehow, the bugs would get to them. They'd been trying to come up with ways to kill the bugs, but they hadn't had any success in finding an insecticide that would be certain to kill every one, including the ones growing inside an infected body."

"So, what did you do?" Jack asked. "If I'd been you, I'd have made the Orkin Man proud and performed the galaxy's biggest bug extermination job."

"Well, if the insects had been an intelligent species, I wouldn't have," Daniel replied, "but since they really were just insects. . . ."

Jack grinned. "You did."

Daniel nodded. "I doubt the insects were an indigenous species, which means that either they came through the gate or were the product of a science experiment gone wrong. If they were from another planet, the species probably still exists on the homeworld, which means I didn't make it extinct. If they were an artificially mutated species, they should never have existed in the first place."

"Daniel, forgive me for saying so, but I have zero problem with you making that particular species extinct."

Daniel shrugged. "Anyway, I let the Kenterans know that the bugs were gone, so I should imagine that they'll be sending people to check things out and make sure everything's okay. We'll have to pay them a visit in a few months and introduce ourselves."

Jack smiled. "Sweet. Who knows what cool toys they'll give us as a thank you. So, what did you do next?"

"I went to the Aschen homeworld."

The announcement resulted in silence from the others.

"I . . . didn't have to do anything there."

That piqued Jack's curiosity. "Oh?"

Daniel stared at him. "You didn't tell me that one of the addresses you gave them was that planet with the Reetou."

"I knew what you'd say if you found out. Hey, it could have been worse. I could have given them the gate address for bug world, but I figured that would be stepping over the line."

"Yes, well, the Reetou were bad enough. A bunch of them came through the gate and killed a lot of people before the Aschen came up with a way to see and kill them. Lots of questions were asked afterwards about how it happened. Apparently, the general public didn't have any idea what their government had been doing all these years. After the incident with the Reetou, it all came out into the open, and a lot of people were pretty horrified. The populace started taking sides. On one side were those who demanded that it be halted and that the government be held accountable for the crimes against humanity that it had committed. On the other side were the people who were more interested in preserving the stability and economy of the Aschen civilization, regardless of what that meant for the people of other worlds. The division led to riots and rebellions, which escalated into an all-out civil war. There's not much left. The old government is history. It'll probably take generations for the civilization to fully recover."

"Can't say that I'm broken up about that," Jack remarked, feeling more than a little satisfaction that the Aschen had paid for their crimes.

"After seeing that, I decided to pay a visit to the Reetou and let them know that the Goa'uld were gone, so they didn't have to worry anymore. They were . . . a bit surprised by my visit."

"I bet."

"Daniel, how did you manage to do all that and take care of the Goa'uld in so short a time?" Sam asked.

"Well, the fact that I could instantaneously travel to any spot in the galaxy helped a lot. There really weren't all that many Goa'uld left, and I was able to see where they all were, so dealing with them didn't take all that long."

"So, any other exciting adventures?" Jack asked.

"Just one more. I . . . took a little trip to the Pegasus galaxy."


	54. Chapter 54

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Beer in hand, Jack watched Daniel from his spot on his living room recliner. Looking at the archeologist now as he chatted with Sam and Teal'c you'd never guess that, just a few hours ago, he was an ascended being of such tremendous power that the term 'mind-boggling' wouldn't even come close. How many people in that situation would have been willing to give it all up? Not many. But then, Daniel wasn't like most people.

Tomorrow, they'd be contacting Atlantis and giving them the news about what Daniel had done over there while ascended. It was Jack's opinion that it was only right for Daniel to be the one to give them the good news, and that it really needed to be done in person. The problem was that he knew Daniel would object to going because of the expressions of gratitude he'd no doubt get. Considering what happened at the debriefing when Teal'c mentioned that the Jaffa needed to be told about the fate of the Goa'uld, Jack figured he had good reason for his suspicions.

"You're welcome to tell them, Teal'c," Daniel had told the Jaffa in reply to the remark.

"It will be my honor," Teal'c had responded, "though I know that many will wish to see you and thank you in person."

"Um, if it's all the same to you, Teal'c, I'd really rather avoid that. I have a good idea what would happen if I went to Dakara."

"Ah, like embarrassing displays of reverence, awe and gratitude?" Jack had said.

Daniel's response had been to drop his head and gaze fixedly at the top of the briefing table.

Thinking about it again, Jack shook his head and smiled slightly. After everything Daniel had accomplished, he was still modest enough to be embarrassed about being praised.

There was one thing that Daniel didn't know yet, and Jack was waiting for just the right moment to tell him.

"You know, I'm thinking that all this deserves a party," the general said.

The others turned to him.

"A party, sir?" Sam responded.

"Sure, why not? We had one after Anubis got his ass kicked last year, and that was nothing compared to what we have to celebrate now. I'm thinking something really big this time. We can even invite some of the folks in DC. We can get a great big cake and have lots of snacks and finger foods. This weekend should work."

"That's not much time, sir."

"Ah, we can do it. I'll put Walter in charge of getting together the right people to take care of everything. He's good at that sort of thing." Jack's gaze went to Daniel. "Maybe we can even invite some of the Jaffa."

The archeologist frowned. "Unless you limit it to the ones who know the truth about me, I don't think that would be a good idea."

The corners of Jack's lips quirked upward. Ah, and here was the right moment. "As it so happens, Daniel, that would be all of them."

Daniel stared at him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you mean all of them?"

"Um, all the Jaffa know that you're Dan'yar, Daniel," Sam explained.

His head turned to her. "How did they find out?"

Jack grinned. "We told them."

"What?" Daniel let out a groan. "Why did you tell them?"

"We wanted credit to be given to the person it belongs to. So, since we figured that it wasn't going to matter anymore if the Goa'uld found out, we decided to blab the secret."

Daniel sighed very loudly. "Thanks, Jack. Thank you so much." His tone made it clear that he was anything but grateful.

"Don't mention it," Jack responded with a cheeky grin. He received a glare that probably would have lit his hair on fire if Daniel had been less of a nice guy.

The archeologist's head dropped back against the sofa's backrest. He closed his eyes and gave another sigh of exasperation.

"Look at it this way, Daniel," Jack said. "Now, whenever you see the Jaffa, you can be yourself. You don't have to go as Dan'yar anymore."

"I suppose that is an advantage," Daniel admitted reluctantly.

"Sure it is. Oh, and if you decide that you still want to kill someone, you can kill Bra'tac. He's the one who first told Tolok."

"Only after you referred to Daniel by name, sir," Sam reminded her C.O.

Jack glared at her. "Was it really necessary for you to say that, Carter?"

Sam's face twisted into an expression of apology. "Sorry, sir."

Daniel lifted his head. "I suppose it was too much to hope that the truth wouldn't get out eventually. At least we don't have to worry about the Goa'uld coming after me. And the truth is that I'll be perfectly happy not being Dan'yar anymore. I'd much rather just be Daniel Jackson."

"Daniel, there is no such thing as _just_ Daniel Jackson, not anymore," Jack responded.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

There was a long moment of silence.

Jack gazed at his best friend thoughtfully. "Daniel, I need to ask you something. You were able to ascend a second time all by yourself even though you'd already ascended once. Could you do it again?"

Daniel paused before replying. "I'm almost certain that I could return to the plane I ascended to in the forest fire. As for that higher plane, I'm not sure, but, yes, I think it's possible. I'd prefer not to do it again, though, unless I had no other choice. I'm not sure how the other Ascended would react if I kept ascending then descending." He smiled slightly. "They might be just a little put out. Us 'lowers' aren't supposed to be able to do that, you know. It kind of puts a dent in their whole attitude about being superior forms of life."

"What if something ever happened to you?" Sam asked.

"You mean if I was killed? Would my body ascend automatically? That's something I really can't say. It took a conscious effort on my part to bring about the ascension, so I really don't know what would happen if I was to suddenly die before I had time to make myself ascend."

"Well, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that I hope we never have to find out," Jack stated. "You've died too many time already. We'd all prefer that you wait at least another fifty years before doing it again."

Daniel smiled slightly. "I'll do my best, Jack." The smile faded. "Um . . . there's something I haven't told you guys yet." He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Jack.

The general stared at the paper, which had some numbers written on it. "What's this?"

"When I was ascended, all the knowledge from the Ancient repository was freely available to me. There was so much knowledge. Even ascended, it would have taken me centuries to unearth it all. There were a lot of things that I knew would be of tremendous help to Earth, to _all_ humanity, actually. Technology, cures for diseases, answers to some of the greatest riddles and mysteries in the universe. I knew that, once I descended, I'd have to put most of it back into my subconscious, so I put some of it in the computers at the SGC. That code will give you access to it. It's only a tiny fraction of the knowledge, but I hope that what's in there will do some good."

Jack and Sam stared at the piece of paper like it was the greatest treasure known to man.

"Daniel," Sam murmured. "This is wonderful." Her eyes were shining with eagerness to delve into what he had given them.

"You need to understand that there are things I could have put in there that I chose not to. With the exception of the rogue NID and The Trust, we've done a good job of not misusing the advanced technology we've gotten, but the human race on Earth is still not . . . mature enough to have some of the technology contained within that knowledge. It could so easily be misused."

"So, I'm guessing that there's no plans for a big space gun in there," Jack said.

"No, but there are for some littler space guns, ones that the Prometheus and other ships could be armed with. Instructions on how to build a Stargate with technology we have available to us now are in there, too."

Sam smiled brightly. "Really? I know that Orlin was able to make that gate from stuff he bought and got out of my kitchen, but it would only work once."

"Well, it wouldn't be cheap or easy to make one, but this gate would work a lot more than just once. Also in there is the location of all the Ancient outposts that still exist in the galaxy. We can harvest the drones and restock the weapons at the Antarctic outpost and on Atlantis. As long as there is always someone stationed at the outpost who can operate the chair, we'll have a weapon we can use against any force that attacks Earth."

Jack smiled. "Okay. A big space gun would have been nice, but that's almost as good."

Sam frowned. "But the Antarctic outpost no longer has a ZPM, so. . . ." Her eyes widened. "Oh my."

Daniel smiled at the look on her face, knowing what she'd just figured out.

"'Oh my' what?" Jack asked, looking back and forth between Sam and Daniel.

The astrophysicist turned to him. "Sir, every Ancient outpost would have a ZPM. If we now have the locations of all those outposts, we'll be able to get the ZPM's from them."

"Sweet."

"Of course, some of the ZPM's could be depleted, but we still might manage to get a few, perhaps even one or two that are almost fully charged." Sam looked at her best friend. "Daniel, this is fantastic. Just those ZPM's alone will be an incredible asset."

The archeologist smiled. "I figured they would be, which is why I also included a few other places where we might find one. I can't say how many we'll end up with, but, hopefully, it will be enough that Atlantis will be able to fully power their systems, and we'll have two or three for our own use."

Sam studied him. "I really didn't think of this before. By descending you had to sacrifice all that knowledge. I know how important knowledge is to you, Daniel. I can't even imagine how hard it was to give it all up."

Daniel stared at floor. "You're right. It wasn't easy. It was a whole lot easier giving up the power than it was to give up that knowledge. It's not the knowledge of technology that hurt to lose. To me, that's not so important. It was the other stuff."

"The meaning of life stuff," Jack said quietly, understanding how big that sacrifice was to a man like him. Eight years ago, Daniel had been willing to remain trapped forever on Heliopolis to learn the secrets contained within that universal language. Now, he'd willingly given up far greater knowledge.

"Yeah," Daniel replied. "There was so much knowledge of cultures and civilizations, languages that have been lost in time, secrets of how the universe works." Daniel looked at the woman sitting beside him. "There were things, Sam, that would have filled you with wonder. A lot of it was beyond what any human could comprehend."

"And you gave it all up," she said softly, amazed at how much strength that act had taken.

"Not all of it. I kept some things, as much as I could." Daniel smiled slightly. "I'm going to be pretty busy writing it all down. It'll take years, maybe my entire life."

"Well, if I'm still around when you finish, I just might read it," Jack remarked with a little smile.

* * *

Sam stepped out on the back porch. Silently, she watched Daniel as he stood unmoving, gazing up at the stars. There was an expression of peace on his face that was almost tranquility, a feeling of stillness about him, as if only his body was there, his mind far away.

Sam was startled a bit when he began to speak.

"When I was ascended, I could feel . . . everything. I could have stood here and felt Earth's magnetic field, sensed the winds that create the great eye on Jupiter, seen the tiniest particles of Saturn's rings. There really aren't any words to describe what it was like."

"It must have been amazing," Sam remarked.

Daniel nodded. "If I close my eyes, I can still feel what it was like. I don't think I'll ever forget it. I'll always have the memories of being on that plane of existence that not even the other Ascended know what it's like to be on."

Sam smiled. "I have to admit that I envy you."

Daniel turned and looked at her. "I can show you."

"What?"

"I can share my memories of what it was like. It won't be exactly like it was to actually experience it, but. . . ."

"Yes," Sam said eagerly. The eagerness made Daniel smile.

He came forward and took her hand, leading her into the bedroom. They sat on their haunches on the bed, facing each other. Daniel took Sam's hands and closed his eyes. Sam felt his mind reach out and connect to hers.

All of a sudden, the room faded away. She was no longer on Earth, chained to a body of flesh and bone. She was utterly free, and all the universe was open to her. She could touch it, see it, _feel_ it. The life on a nearby world, the fusion reactions within the heart of the planet's sun, the track of the planet through space. She could feel it all. Even the distant stars touched her senses, beckoning to her to come explore their secrets. It was beyond words, beyond anything any human could ever possibly imagine.

Slowly, Sam's consciousness returned to her body. She blinked her eyes open and gazed, awestruck, at Daniel.

"My God," she whispered. "My God." She drew in a deep, shaky breath. "How could you give that up?"

"Yes, it was incredible," he said, "far more so than when I ascended before. But if I had to choose between that," he cupped her cheek, "and being with you, I would choose you every time."

Daniel began removing Sam's clothing one piece at a time. As he pulled off her bra, his hands and lips immediately went to her breasts. Sam cried out softly at the sensation. She tugged at his shirt, almost popping off buttons in her haste to remove it. At last it was gone and their upper bodies were skin on skin. It was not enough, and, soon, the rest of their clothing was gone. Sam lowered herself back onto Daniel's lap.

"God, I love you, Sam," he said as he joined himself with her, uniting their souls along with their bodies. Only the return of his mouth to hers kept Sam from crying out loudly from the sheer ecstasy of their union.

To Daniel, the glorious power of being ascended could not compare to this, to the incomparable ecstasy of making love with Sam as their minds, hearts and bodies were joined in a bond of absolute totality.

It was not long before Daniel felt the approach of Sam's climax, and it sent his body on its own inexorable climb to culmination. Then, all at once, they were hurling over the edge, their combined climax overwhelming their senses and their awareness.

Gasping for breath in the aftermath, they sat unmoving for a long moment as their bodies recovered. Daniel then began placing kisses all over Sam's face. A smile came to his lips, a twinkle to his eyes.

"Now, tell me," he said. "If you had to choose between that and being ascended, which one would _you_ choose?"

Sam grinned, her eyes sparkling. "You're right. It's no contest."

Her lover laughed in utter delight. They got under the covers and back into each other's arms.

Sam gazed at the man who meant more to her than anything else in the universe ever could. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come back, Daniel. During the time that you were gone, I thought about what my life would be like without you, and it was more than I could bear."

Daniel pulled her a bit closer. "No matter what happens, Sam, I will always try to come back to you." He rose up on his elbow and looked down at the woman he would always choose over ascension. "I've learned a lot of things since all this began, things about myself, who I am as a person. I've learned other things as well. One of the most important is that every moment of life is precious, and we should never wait to tell people how we feel, because things can change so quickly. Life can be gone in an instant." Daniel ran a finger over Sam's cheek. "I may be psychic, Sam, but I can't predict everything that lies ahead of us. I could die tomorrow and not be able to ascend again. But I know that I love you, more than I have ever loved anyone in my life, and I want to spend however many years there is left of that life with you." Daniel captured and held the eyes of the woman he loved. "Sam, will you marry me?"

Sam gasped, her breath stolen by the question Daniel had just asked. And then she was smiling, the only answer she could possibly give ringing in her mind.

"Yes," she whispered.

With a joyous laugh, Daniel pulled Sam into his arms, feeling deep in his heart that, whatever else the future might hold for him, it would be a future spent with Sam.

* * *

Though it wasn't easy, Daniel and Sam managed to keep the news of their engagement to themselves the next day, wanting to make the announcement at the celebration party that weekend.

Teal'c headed off to Dakara that morning to pass on the news about the Goa'uld. That afternoon, Daniel and Sam went to lunch off-base, then went to a jewelry store for Sam's engagement ring, which she would hide in her purse until she could wear it publically.

After the couple returned, the SGC made the call to Atlantis.

"Doctor Weir, we've got some very good news for you," the general said. "First of all, Anubis and the rest of the Goa'uld are gone for good. They'll never bother us again."

"That is wonderful news, General. There are a lot of people here who will be delighted to hear that."

"Yes, I figured you might want to celebrate, so I'm sending through a few cases of champagne, preceded by a lovely magnum of the bubbly." Jack picked up the bottle that was sitting on the console and turned to Daniel. "Come on down with me. I think you should be the one to do the honors."

"No, that's okay, Jack. You can do it."

"Oh, come on, Daniel. After all, you're the one we have to thank for this."

Daniel paused, then nodded. They went to the gate room and up the ramp. Jack handed the bottle to Daniel, who stepped closer to the gate. As he started to bend down to place the bottle on the ramp, Jack laid a hand on his back . . . and shoved him right through the event horizon.

A very startled Daniel stumbled out the other side.

Elizabeth blinked and stared at him. "Um . . . Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel's eyes started glittering with anger. "Elizabeth," he greeted tightly. "Can Jack hear me?"

"Um, yes, he can."

Daniel gave her a fake, closed-mouth smile, then turned to face the gate. "Jack, I would suggest that you find somewhere to hide, because, when I come back, what I did to Ferretti will be _nothing_ compared to what I do to you."

"Aw, now, Daniel. Is that any way to act? I just figured that the rest of our news should come from you personally, face to face. It'll take a bit of explaining, after all, and we can keep these wormholes open for just so long."

"Doesn't matter. You're still a deadman."

"I'll make sure that my will is in order," Jack responded. "Stargate Command out." The wormhole shut down.

His mind full of all the ways he could get even with Jack, Daniel turned back to Doctor Weir.

"Hello," he said cordially. "As you may have guessed, this trip was somewhat unscheduled . . . at least by me."

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, I did gather that. Um . . . would you like someone to take that?"

Daniel looked down and realized that he was still holding the champagne. He handed it to someone.

"So, what is this all about?" Atlantis' commander asked.

"Um, I've got a lot to explain, so we should probably have a meeting with some of the others."

The commander of Atlantis called for the meeting. Among the ones present were John Sheppard, Teyla, Doctor Beckett, and McKay.

"Any time you're ready, Doctor Jackson," Elizabeth said.

"Okay, first of all, I should explain what happened with the Replicators and Anubis. We've been pretty busy lately."

Daniel told them about the Ancient device on Dakara, the capturing of the planet, and his capture by RepliCarter.

McKay had a funny look on his face. "There was a Replicator with Sam's body and memories?"

"Yes. Fifth, the only surviving human-form Replicator, created her early this year."

"Why?"

"Um, I don't think I should tell you that. Sam would kill me if I did. Just suffice it to say that he had a reason. Anyway, once RepliCarter had me, her intention was to get all the knowledge of the Ancients that I have stored in my subconscious. I . . . objected."

John grinned. "I can't wait to hear what you did to her."

Daniel told them the rest of the story, concluding with the destruction of all the Replicators in the galaxy.

"Then they're all gone?" Elizabeth asked.

"All the ones that were in our galaxy. I don't know if there are any left in the Asgards' galaxy. If so, now that they're leaderless, the Asgard can gradually take care of them, though they'll have to keep altering the frequency of their disruptor weapons to do it."

"This is very good news, Doctor Jackson."

"So, what about the Goa'uld?" Sheppard asked.

"Yeah, well, no sooner had we done all that when Anubis made his move to get Dakara back. That's when I found out what his plan was. He was going to use the Ancient device to completely obliterate all corporeal life in the galaxy."

The announcement was met with complete silence, the faces of the people around the table testifying to their horror.

"Damn," John murmured. "Talk about overkill."

"His plan was to start over," Daniel told them, "reseed the galaxy to suit his tastes. In other words, an entire galaxy worshiping him as God."

"But you stopped him," Teyla said.

Daniel nodded. "The planet was under attack by supersoldiers and Anubis' ships, far too many for us to hold off. We tried to detonate a nuclear bomb to blow up the temple, but it didn't work." He paused for a few seconds. "I was watching all this happening, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My power wasn't enough. Then I remembered what happened in that forest fire here, how I tapped into a greater power. I thought that if I could do that again, it might be enough."

"And did you?" Elizabeth asked.

"I tried to make it happen again. I was beginning to succeed when . . . when I suddenly realized what it was that I was really doing. I wasn't just tapping into a greater power within my mind, I was actually making myself ascend to a slightly higher plane of existence."

"Incredible," Beckett murmured.

"When I realized that, everything just . . . fell into place. I knew what I could do, what I've been capable of doing ever since I descended."

"Which is?" Sheppard asked.

"Ascend again . . . all the way, not just to the same plane as the Ancients, but to an even _higher_ plane."

Again, the room was struck with utter silence, this time one of awe.

"You ascended?" Teyla asked in a hushed tone. "You became even greater than the Ancients?"

Daniel nodded. "I destroyed all the supersoldiers on Dakara and Anubis' entire fleet. Then I went after Anubis himself. I won't go into details on what happened after that, just that I descended him the rest of the way, made him mortal again. He's dead now."

There was a very long silence after that as everyone absorbed the news.

"I-I thought the Ancients wouldn't let you do something like that," McKay stammered. "Don't they have that whole noninterference rule?"

"Yes, and, if they could have stopped me, they would have. Some of them even tried. But, this time, they couldn't do a thing. I was on an even higher plane than them. It would have taken the power of all of them working together to stop me, and there were too many of them who knew that they had no right to interfere."

Teyla smiled. "Because you were now a being greater than them, above their laws."

"Basically."

"But you are now human again."

"By my choice, Teyla. After Anubis was taken care of, I went after the rest of the Goa'uld. I removed every one of them from their hosts and returned them to the planet their species originally came from. They'll spend the rest of their lives there, with no hope of freedom."

"Damn," John said again, more enthusiastically this time. "You sure don't mess around, do you."

Daniel shook his head. "Nope, not when it comes to the Goa'uld. I swore a long time ago that if I was ever in the position to remove their threat from the galaxy, I'd do it. I was finally able to make good on that oath." He looked around at everyone. "Which leads me to the main reason why Jack decided to send me here. While I was ascended, I did more than deal with the Goa'uld. Among other things, I came here."

"To this galaxy?" Weir said, surprised.

"Yes." Daniel turned to Carson. "Doctor Beckett, you're probably still unaware of it, but I implanted some information in your mind."

"What information?" the doctor asked, intrigued.

"Regarding that formula you've been working to remove the portions of a Wraith's DNA that makes them what they are, leaving them with only the human part. As it was, you'd have had to give a Wraith regular injections to keep them human."

Carson nodded. "Yes, but I'd hoped to eventually find a way around that."

"Well, you will, now. I told you how. And, unlike the one you would have had, this formula will work even on adult female Wraith."

A gigantic smile graced the face of the Scotsman. "My boy, this is wonderful news!"

"It certainly is," Elizabeth said, also smiling. "I can't tell you how much this means to us."

"There's more," Daniel stated. "I also put in your computers information that will allow you to find all the Wraith hive ships in the galaxy and disable their shields. You'll then be able to beam canisters of a gas version of the formula onto the ships and turn all the Wraith onboard into humans."

Teyla reached across the table and grasped Daniel's hands, intense gratitude in her eyes.

"How can my people begin to thank you?" she asked. "You have saved us all. Our children will at last be free of the threat of the Wraith."

"I'm just happy that it was in my power to do this, Teyla. I could have destroyed them all. That would have been in my power, too, but to eradicate an entire species is something that I could never have done. In this way, though they'll no longer be Wraith, they will still be alive." He looked at the others. "But you guys are going to have a big responsibility ahead of you. When they're made human, all their memories of their former life will be gone. They're going to have to be helped, given the means to be self-sufficient. You'll have to teach them how to hunt, grow crops and gather wild fruits and grains."

"My people can help with teaching them," Teyla said.

Elizabeth frowned. "Supplies are going to be an issue until they can feed themselves."

"I'm sure we can help with that," Daniel told her. "One of the most important things of all is that the Wraith must never know the truth of what they were. If they find out, they will hate you for what you've done."

"We could say they're humans that were affected by some sort of plague that wiped out their memories," Beckett said.

Daniel shook his head. "It would have to be more than that. They're not going to look exactly like us, so tell them that they're a race of human-like aliens. The thing about the plague would probably work then. You could say that it was highly contagious and very quickly spread to their whole race all across the galaxy and that, not only did it wipe out their memories, it also killed almost all their females and most of the children. That will explain why there are so few women and kids. You could tell them that you're doing all you can to save as many of their kind as you can. In that way, you can bring more human Wraith to each camp you set up. But you need to be careful and not let them suspect that you're hiding something. You mustn't treat them like you don't trust them."

"That isn't going to be easy," Sheppard remarked.

"No, but, if they suspect something's going on, they'll start asking questions you can't answer. They have to be made to believe that you are their friends and saviors and that you have nothing but their best interests at heart. There is one problem, though."

"What's that?" McKay asked.

"There is a psychic connection that exists between the Wraith, and that connection will still be there to some extent with the Wraith you change. In order to prevent them from finding out what they are, you will need to transform all the Wraith that are awake as quickly as possible. The more Wraith that are turned human, the weaker the psychic bond will be. You'll have more time to take care of the ones that are in hibernation. We're going to try to get you ships that you can use for this."

McKay stared at him. "Okay, so you're saying that we're going to have to hurry up and change all the hundreds of thousands Wraith that are not in hibernation, put them all on planets and provide them with food and shelter? How are we supposed to do that?"

"Why not stick the ones we change into their own stasis pods?" John asked. Everyone looked at him. "We're gonna have their ships. That way, we don't have to rush to get them set up on planets. We can hit a ship, board it, stick them in the pods, then land the ship somewhere until we have time to deal with the Wraith onboard."

Doctor Weir smiled. "Good idea, John."

"Yes, well, I'm sure I would have thought of that myself," McKay said. No one paid attention to him.

Daniel looked around at everyone. "If you do this right, the Wraith will be able to begin a whole new life as our friends rather than our enemies. The fact that there are so few females will mean that a big part of the population will die off from old age, but once new generations are born with plenty of both males and females, their numbers will eventually recover. And those new generations will be completely human, children who were never Wraith."

Teyla smiled joyfully. "It is a dream come true, a dream we could not even have imagined."

"Well, I have just one other thing to say," Sheppard declared.

"What's that?" McKay asked.

The man got a huge grin on his face. "Let's par-tay!"

That got a chuckle from more than one throat.

Weir nodded. "I agree. I think this deserves a celebration." She turned to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, you must stay as the guest of honor."

"Um . . . I'm flattered, but, no, I think I'll pass. Jack's already got a huge party planned, and one party with dozens of people patting my back and hugging me is enough. Actually, if I could get out of it, I wouldn't go to that one either. You, uh, wouldn't happen to have a planet I could hide out on for a while, would you?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I wouldn't dare interfere with General O'Neill's plans, Daniel. Sorry. I will let you bow out of our celebration, though."

"Thanks."

Doctor Beckett stood. "I must go to my lab and begin work on the formula right away." He looked at Daniel. "Will the things you put in my mind simply come to me?"

Daniel nodded. "If I hadn't told you about it, you'd have believed that you came up with it yourself."

McKay smiled. "Too bad, Carson. You could have been the big hero."

The doctor waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care a wee bit about that, Rodney, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to take credit for the achievements of another."

"Unlike a certain other person in this room," John murmured, looking straight at McKay.

"Hey," the scientist objected. "I've never taken credit for something someone else did. I haven't had to. I'm usually the one who did it."

Several people rolled their eyes. Daniel just stared at the man, arms crossed.

"Aren't you forgetting about Sam?" he said, eyebrow cocked.

"Uh-uh-uh, of course not," the man stammered, his voice having gone up half an octave. "I wasn't including her in that statement. She's a brilliant scientist with many great achievements to her credit. I couldn't have done some things without her."

Daniel gave him a little smile. "Glad to hear you say that."

McKay popped to his feet. "I-I think I'll go and . . . and work on the best way to get Carson's formula onto the Wraith ships." He hurried out of the room.

"Daniel, you have no idea how much I wish you were staying on Atlantis permanently," Sheppard said. "Nobody can scare the crap out of McKay like you can without even trying."

Weir smiled. "Yes, about that. Now that the Goa'uld have been dealt with, would you consider making Atlantis your new home? Colonel Carter as well, of course. Even after the Wraith are dealt with, you would be a tremendous asset to us, and there is still so much of the Ancient knowledge to uncover, huge sections of this city yet to explore."

"I have to admit that it is tempting," Daniel replied, "and I would definitely like to return here, perhaps for a few months, but permanently? Earth is still my home, and, now that the Goa'uld are gone, we can really start using the Stargate for exploration and finding new friends and allies out there in the galaxy. I want to be a part of that."

Elizabeth nodded. "I understand." She smiled again. "Once the Wraith are no longer a problem, I'd say that we're going to be doing quite a bit of that as well. There is a very big galaxy out there to explore."

"And when the Wraith are no more, we must spread the news to every world that has lived in fear of them," Teyla said. "The people must know that no more of their numbers will be taken," she gazed at Daniel, "thanks to you."

Daniel gave her a nod, smiling. "There is one piece of personal news that I have, but all of you need to keep it under your hats for now. No one back home knows yet. Sam and I are getting married."

Weir smiled brightly. "What wonderful news. Congratulations."

"Thanks. You're all invited to the wedding, of course. We haven't set a date yet."

"We'll look forward to it."


	55. Chapter 55

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

"So, are you going to kill me now or do I have time to send through those crates of champagne?" Jack asked once Daniel was back on Earth.

"Go ahead and send them," the archeologist replied with a glint in his eyes that made Jack nervous in spite of himself. "Remember what they say, Jack. Revenge is a dish best served cold."

"Um . . . yeah." Jack ignored the looks of pity he got from a few people in the control room. "Walter, have those crates sent through to Atlantis. I should imagine that there will be partying there tonight, and no party is complete without champagne."

"Yes, sir."

Daniel headed for his office. After a moment, he sensed Jack hurrying up to him.

"Look, Daniel. I know it was a dirty trick to pull on you," the grey-haired man said.

Daniel stopped. "Are you sorry you did it?"

"Uh . . . sort of."

The archeologist's eyes narrowed. "Only because you're finally starting to consider what the ramifications to you might be. Should have thought of that before, Jack."

Daniel resumed walking. Jack hurrying to keep pace.

"Okay, now, Daniel, I'm the base commander here, and I need to maintain a high level of respect in the eyes of the personnel. If you do something like. . . ."

"Hang you naked in the women's locker room?" Daniel supplied. "I seem to recall that's what you wanted me to do to Ferretti."

Jack started to sweat. "Yeah. That. It would severely damage my image here, which could affect my ability to lead. You wouldn't want to do that, would you?" The fact that Daniel didn't reply made Jack _really_ nervous. Crap. What had he been thinking? It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. "Daniel, come on. Give me a break. Please? For old time's sake?"

Daniel stopped again and looked at him. "All right. I promise that whatever I do won't involve the forced removal of clothing."

Jack relaxed. "Thank you."

A downright evil smile curved Daniel's lips. "But that's _all_ I'll promise." He then turned and strode away, leaving Jack to ponder his fate.

--------------------------------------------------

When Teal'c returned late that afternoon, it was with the news that the Jaffa were insisting that Daniel come to Dakara so that they could thank him personally. Teal'c passed on a personal message from Bra'tac that, if Daniel _didn't_ come, the Master Jaffa would come through the Stargate after him, regardless of Daniel's power. Knowing that he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't relent, the archeologist very reluctantly agreed to go next week.

The following afternoon, Jack received quite a surprise when he got home from work. The surprise was a man who was rather rudely pointing a gun at him and saying that Jack had ruined his life. Since the gun wasn't real, this didn't really concern Jack much, even if he did think the guy was a nutcase. After Jack revealed that he knew the weapon wasn't real and then got his own gun, which _was_ real, the situation changed.

"Oh, God. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you're right. It's just a toy," the man babbled, dropping the gun and throwing up his hands. "Please don't shoot me."

"I'm not gonna shoot ya."

"I'm sorry. I just thought it was the only way to make you listen to me."

Jack put down his gun and picked up his cell phone.

"Oh, where you're going, people will listen," he said as he started dialing. "They got nothing to do but listen to what you have to say. They got nice white coats, padded walls, the whole nine yards."

"Please wait! You're Brigadier General Jack O'Neill, head of Stargate Command at Cheyenne Mountain. You used to command SG-1, which is now led by Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter. You once visited a planet called Argos, and the nanites in your blood caused you to age artificially. You've had the entire repository of the Ancients' knowledge downloaded into your brain. You have a thing for The Simpsons, fishing, Mary Steenburgen, the color peridot, and you're a terrible ping pong player."

Jack stared at him. "Have we met?" There _was_ something vaguely familiar about the guy, now that he thought about it.

"My name is Joe Spencer. I'm a barber. It's all true, isn't it. Everything I've seen, the Stargate, the Goa'uld, the Asgards. It's all real. Tell me it's real. I need to know."

"Well, first of all, Joe . . . I'm not a terrible ping pong player."

--------------------------------------------------

Thinking that it might be wise to discover what the hell was going on, Jack took Joe to the SGC, calling Daniel on the way and very briefly filling him in. Once they arrived, Jack took the man straight to the infirmary. If the guy was an alien, it would probably be wise to know that.

A nurse drew some blood from Joe as Jack looked on.

"Between you and me, I totally see the analogy. Burns as Goa'uld," Joe said, continuing a conversation they'd been having.

Jack made an expansive gesture. "_Thank_ you." He was starting to like this guy.

"And don't worry. I won't say a word about your feelings for. . . ."

Joe turned and saw Sam and Janet coming toward them. Jack gestured for him to be quiet. Joe got off the infirmary bed and shook Sam's hand.

"This is such an honor. I don't know how to thank you for all you've done for our planet. There are not enough words."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Sam said with a smile of confusion. She looked at Jack for an explanation.

"Joe Spencer," he said, as if that was all the explanation needed.

"I was particularly impressed with the time you blew up that sun," Joe told the astrophysicist.

"Well, thank you. I had a bit of help."

Joe turned to Janet. "Janet Fraiser. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you weren't killed on P3X-666. You are a wonderful doctor, and I know that General O'Neill would have—" He winced as Jack jabbed him rather painfully in the back with his finger.

At that moment, Daniel walked in, and Joe's entire face lit up. He rushed forward and grabbed Daniel's hand. He started shaking it quite enthusiastically.

"Doctor Jackson. How can I even begin to express my respect for you? The things you can do, the times that you've saved us all, not just Earth but the whole galaxy! You are amazing!"

"Uhhh . . . thank you," Daniel responded. Joe was still very aggressively shaking his hand, and he was beginning to wonder if he'd have to use his abilities to regain possession of it before it was shaken right off.

Fortunately, telekinesis proved not to be needed as the man finally let go.

Daniel turned to the base commander. "Jack?"

"He's a barber."

"Broke into your house?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps you should think of getting an alarm."

"I'm thinkin' dog, actually."

"You could try locking your front door," Joe suggested.

"It's going to take a while for the test results to come back from that blood we drew," Janet said. She turned to Joe. "I'm afraid that we need to do some other tests as well, an MRI and EEG, perhaps a PET scan."

"Okay, sure. Whatever you need."

"When she's all done poking and prodding you, have someone take you to the briefing room," Jack told the man. He turned to Sam. "Carter, I had something sent to your lab. It's a rock that Joe says is what made him see all that stuff about the program."

Daniel's eyebrows lifted. "A rock?"

"Looks like a rock to me. It's black, about this long," he held his hands apart a few inches, "has strange symbols carved on. Go see it for yourself."

As Joe was taken away by Janet and Jack went off to find Teal'c, Daniel went with Sam to her lab. The "rock" was sitting on her worktable. Daniel frowned upon seeing it.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"It looks familiar."

"You mean from something in the Ancient knowledge?"

"No, I think I've seen something like it before."

Daniel reached out to pick the thing up, then paused. If this was Ancient in origin, which he was pretty certain it was, he didn't know what would happen if he touched it. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Um, Sam, I'm going to go see if I can figure out where I've see this before. Could you . . . put it in a box or a bag? I'm hesitant to touch it."

Sam got a plastic bag and dropped the stone into it.

Daniel took it back to his office. First, he looked through a few books, thinking he might have seen a picture of one somewhere. When that didn't pan out, he got on his computer. After searching for a while through various photos he'd taken off-world, he suddenly thought of checking the inventory catalog of artifacts. Partway through the search, he got a call from Sam.

"Hey, I just heard from Janet," she said. "She had a hunch and ran a certain test on Joe's blood. It turns out that he's got the Ancient gene."

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me."

"Janet's still running tests, but, so far, Joe is perfectly normal otherwise. Janet will send me all the test results when she's done. You got anything yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm looking into it. As soon as I've got something, I'll come to the briefing room."

Soon after the call, Daniel found what he was looking for. He went to the base archives and began yet another search. He scanned the labels on the dozens of boxes on the shelves. He finally found what he was looking for sitting high on a shelf in a box with several other objects. Taking the box, he returned to his office.

Still leery of touching a piece of Ancient technology, Daniel removed the thing from the box telekinetically and set it on the table beside the one belonging to Joe, which was still in the plastic bag. They were identical.

Daniel stared at the two stones for a while, an idea forming in his mind about what they might be. Almost certain that he was right, Daniel put the second stone in the bag using telekinesis and left his office.

When he got to the briefing room, Jack, Sam and Teal'c were there with Joe.

"I think I've got it," he announced. "It took me a while to track it down, but. . . ." He set the bag with the two stones on the table.

"You have one, too?" Joe said.

"I think they're a set. Jack, remember P3R-233? That's the planet where I—"

"Where you found the quantum mirror that sent you to an alternate reality," Joe interrupted, "where the Goa'uld invaded Earth."

Daniel nodded as Jack dumped the stones out of the bag and picked one up, frowning. He failed to hear Daniel's next words as a memory came back to him of the first time he'd seen it on a table full of tagged artifacts, the ones that had been brought back along with the quantum mirror. He'd picked it up to look at it, and something rather weird had happened.

"That stone was brought back with the rest of the artifacts from that room we found," Daniel was saying, "the one with the mirror."

Jack's mind came back to the present.

"I think the stones are a kind of Ancient long-range communication device," the archeologist explained, "allowing people to see events over great distances through some sort of psychic connection. Now, Jack must have activated the link between the stones by picking up the second stone. After that, all that would be required is a certain proximity to the stone, for the connection to be activated. Now, seeing as how the stone was being stored in the base archives. . . ."

"But that doesn't explain how the other stone got to the. . . ." Jack looked at Joe. "Where? Where was it?"

"A garage sale," Teal'c answered.

"The person who sold it to me said his grandfather found it on a dig in Egypt," Joe said.

Sam frowned. "But that still doesn't explain the proximity issue. I mean, if the stone General O'Neill touched was kept here, how was Joe able to see everything that happened to the General off-world?"

"I think he was getting most of it from when Jack was writing up his reports right here on the base," Daniel answered. "The stone was being stored just a few levels above."

A look of comprehension spread across Joe's face. "That's why the stories were so easy to write. It was like someone else had done most of the work for me."

"And you say they all got rejected?" Jack asked.

Joe nodded.

Daniel wondered what stories they were talking about. He'd have to find out later.

"Wait a second," Sam said. "If the stones worked the way Daniel says, shouldn't General O'Neill have been able to see elements of Joe's life as well?"

Daniel nodded. "Theoretically, yes, he would."

He and his teammates all turned to Jack, who looked back at them, then exchanged a look with Joe.

"Bowling league, Thursday nights?" Jack inquired.

"You saw that?" Joe asked in amazement.

"You got game, Son."

Daniel stared at the general. "W-wait a minute. Jack, you've been seeing parts of the life of a barber in Indiana for seven years, and you never mentioned it?"

"Yeah, sure I did. I know I did."

"No. No, you didn't, sir," Sam told her C.O.

"I didn't?"

"You didn't find it the least bit odd?" Daniel asked. He couldn't believe that Jack had been seeing those things for all those years and hadn't said a word.

"Actually, no. I found it quite . . . relaxing."

That got a smile and a shrug from Joe, who looked pleased.

Figuring that it would be safe, Daniel picked up both of the stones. For a brief instant of time, it was like he was seeing the room from two different perspectives. He quickly set the stones back down.

"Whoa. That was . . . disconcerting."

"You're not kidding," Jack said.

Daniel looked at him. "You saw that, too?"

"Hell, yeah."

"So did I," said Joe.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"For a second, I think I was seeing through both Jack's and Joe's eyes at the same time," Daniel replied.

"You mean that, now, there's a three-way connection?"

"God, I hope not!" Jack exclaimed. "If I start seeing Daniel's life as he's doing all his translations and archeology stuff, I'll go mad."

Daniel frowned down at the stones. He picked one up and held it out to Jack. "Here."

The general looked at it like it was a deadly snake.

"Take it, Jack. I have an idea."

Hesitantly, the man took it. Daniel then gave the other one to Joe.

"Okay, stand next to each other and hold up the stones," Daniel instructed.

The men did as he asked. Daniel then laid his hands on the stones and closed his eyes. He stood that way for several seconds.

"Okay. That should do it," he said. He took the stones and put them on the table.

"Do what?" Jack asked.

"I broke the connection. As long as you guys don't touch them again, you'll never have to worry about seeing each other's lives again. And neither will I."

Joe gazed down at the stone. "I'm going to miss seeing all your adventures. A barber's life isn't exactly an exciting one." He sighed. "But that thing destroyed my life, so I'm glad to be rid of it. I lost my wife and my son because they both thought I was crazy. I lost my business. I lost my friends. I lost everything." He sat down in a chair, looking utterly dejected. "I don't know what I'm going to do now."

"Jack, couldn't we do something?" Daniel asked.

"Like what?" Jack responded.

Joe looked up at him. "Couldn't you tell my wife that everything I told her was real? If she knew it was all real, she'd know I wasn't crazy and come back to me."

"The program is classified, Joe," Jack told him.

The man's shoulders slumped, his eyes dropping to the table. "Yeah."

Jack stared at the man, feeling sorry for him. Though they weren't to blame for what happened, he felt a certain sense of responsibility to fix the damage that had been wrought.

"Tell you what, Joe. I'll have a little chat with General Hammond and see if I can get permission to tell your wife about this."

Joe's face lit with hope. "You will?" He jumped to his feet and shook Jack's hand. "Oh, thank you!"

"As it so happens, Hammond will be at our little party tomorrow, so I can talk to him then."

Joe smiled. "Can I go, too?"

"Uh, no. Sorry. You may have seen all that stuff, but you still don't have clearance, and you're not part of the program."

"Oh. Right, of course."

"Go on home, Joe. I'll call you. Oh, and I don't think I have to tell you not to say another word about all of this."

"Of course I won't say anything. You can count on me."

Joe said goodbye to everyone, then was led out of the room by an airman, who would see to it that the man got home.

"Well, that was . . . interesting," Daniel remarked. He turned to Jack. "What stories was he talking about?"

"Joe wrote some stories based on what he saw."

"And they were all rejected?"

"Yep, which makes no sense to me."

Daniel chose not to respond to that. "Okay, Jack. Tell me how you could go through seven years of seeing images from another person's life flash through your head and not think something strange was going on."

"I told you. It was relaxing."

When Daniel just kept staring at him, Jack sighed in exasperation. "All right, if you must know, I was afraid MacKenzie would throw me in a rubber room if I told anyone." Seeing the archeologist's reaction, Jack cursed. "Crap. Sorry, Daniel."

Daniel shrugged. "It's all right. I should imagine that, after what happened to me, you were even more worried about telling anyone."

"You could say that. When that thing with you happened, I started thinking that the flashes were some strange byproduct of gate travel."

At that moment, the warning of an unscheduled gate activation was announced.

"Speaking of gate travel. . . ."

The four of them went to the control room and waited to see who it was that was dialing in. It turned out to be Jacob.

"Okay, we've been hearing all kinds of rumors, but nothing has been substantiated," he said in the briefing room a few minutes later. "We heard that Anubis attempted to gain control of the weapon on Dakara and that his entire army was destroyed."

"What you heard was right," Jack confirmed. "He showed up and got his ass kicked."

"Care to tell me how? I know that some of the other stuff we've heard couldn't possibly be true."

The general smiled slightly. "Let me guess. You heard that Daniel ascended again and did the whole fire and brimstone thing big time."

"Yes, that's what we heard. Knowing what we do about ascension and the rules of the Ancients, we figured it was just a story that the Jaffa made up. Daniel's presence here obviously confirms that. So, what really happened?"

Jack's smile turned into an outright grin. "Daniel ascended again and did the whole fire and brimstone thing big time."

Shocked, Jacob stared at Daniel. "It's true? You ascended again?"

"Yes."

"So, why didn't the Others stop you this time?"

Daniel opened his mouth to explain, but was beat to the punch by Jack.

"Because Danny Boy got one up on the other glowworms and ascended to an even _higher_ plane of existence."

Jacob's shock went up another notch. "An even higher plane of existence?"

Daniel explained the whole thing to the Tok'ra, who was left amazed by it all.

"So, Anubis is really dead this time," Jacob said with a smile. "The other Tok'ra are going to be delighted."

"Okay, now tell him the best part," Jack instructed Daniel.

The archeologist looked at Teal'c with a smile. "I'll let Teal'c tell him that."

"The Goa'uld are no more," the Jaffa stated with satisfaction. "Anubis is truly dead, and the other Goa'uld who remained have been returned to the world from whence their species came, their hosts freed at last."

"What? All of them?" Jacob asked.

"All of them," Daniel replied. "They will never leave P3X-888. I made sure of it. The only symbiotes that are left are the larvae inside the Jaffa that aren't on Tretonin yet."

Jacob sat in silence for a long moment, digesting this. "Daniel, if that's so, the Tok'ra, the entire _galaxy_, owe you an incredible debt."

"More than you know, Dad," Sam said. "You might not have heard what Anubis intended to do with the weapon. He was going to wipe out everything, scour the galaxy clean of life so that he could recreate everything the way he wanted it to be."

"With everyone worshiping him, of course," Jack added.

"Damn," Jacob cursed. He looked at the man who'd saved them all. "And you chose to descend again?"

"Yes. I'm not ready to spend eternity as an Ascended." Daniel looked at Sam. "My place is here."

Sam smiled back at him and took his hand. She looked at her father. "How long can you stay this time?"

"We're having a great big party tomorrow to celebrate the end of the Goa'uld," Jack told him. "We'd love to see you there."

"Well, since there aren't any more Goa'uld to worry about, I see no reason why I can't stay," Jacob replied. "All I have to do is pass on the good news to the others."

Jacob did that very thing a short while later. Needless to say, the other Tok'ra were as shocked by the news as Jacob had been. Unlike Jacob, however, some of them weren't prepared to take Daniel's word alone that all the Goa'uld were gone. They insisted that the Tok'ra continue to watch out for the Goa'uld. This didn't surprise Jacob at all. He and Selmak had been growing progressively more irritated with the actions and attitude of most of the other Tok'ra, especially the High Council. They just didn't see eye to eye anymore.

Jacob spent that evening alone with his daughter. Though Daniel had been invited to join them, the archeologist figured that this was the first opportunity the man had gotten to spend some real quality time with Sam in quite a while.

Though there was a chill in the air, father and daughter went for a walk after dinner.

"So, how have things been going, kiddo?" Jacob asked, his arm around Sam's shoulders.

"You mean other than all the upheavals with the Replicators, the Goa'uld and everything else? It's been great."

"You and Daniel?"

"We're good, Dad, better than good. He was missing for a week while he was dealing with Anubis and the other Goa'uld, and I was so scared that I'd never see him again. I love him so much, and I know that he loves me just as much."

Jacob's arm tightened about her. "I can't tell you how happy I am for you, Sam. Of all the things I wanted for you, having someone to love like that is what I wanted the most." He smiled. "So . . . any thought on making this relationship of yours more . . . permanent?"

Sam had to bite her tongue not to give the news away. Daniel would kill her if she told her dad when he wasn't around. Jacob could find out tomorrow along with everyone else. "Um . . . this year has just been so busy. It seems like we never had more than a moment to take a breather before the next crisis arose."

Jacob didn't respond. He didn't feel that it was his place to say what Daniel and Sam should do regarding their relationship.

Early the next evening, Sam picked Daniel up, and they went to the party together.

As big as the party was going to be, it had been determined that no room at the SGC would be large enough to comfortably hold all the guests, so a large hall, the kind often reserved for wedding receptions, was rented for the day. About a dozen people had spent Thursday and Friday decorating the place with party streamers and wall decorations. Because of the classified nature of the party, using a catering service had been out of the question, so the food was courtesy of several dozen volunteers.

Quite a few people were already there when Daniel and Sam arrived. Many of them came up to Daniel and expressed their gratitude to the man who had made the reason for this party a reality.

Seeing the uncomfortable look on Daniel's face, Sam leaned over and whispered. "You'd better get used to it, Daniel. You are the hero of the SGC, and everybody's going to make sure you don't forget it."

"Great," the archeologist muttered. "Can we leave now?"

Sam laughed and tugged him further into the building.

Half an hour later, the party was in full swing. Much to everyone's delight, General Hammond had made it there, as did Paul Davis, plus some other people from DC. Cassie was there as well.

A stereo system had been set up to play music. The music was halted as General Hammond stepped up onto the stage. "May I have your attention, everyone?" he said in the microphone. All eyes turned to him. "We all know why it is that we are here today, what it is that we are celebrating. I have to admit that, when this began all those years ago, I had doubts that I'd live long enough to see this day. I'm sure that some of you felt the same. But here we all are, celebrating the end of the Goa'uld. I cannot tell you how joyful I am," he looked straight at Daniel, "and how much gratitude I feel toward the man who played the biggest part in making this a reality." Hammond turned back to everyone else. "All of you, all the people of the Stargate Program, both those still living and those who have given their lives in the fight, are to thank for this day. Your tireless commitment to what the program was all about, your strength and courage in fighting our enemies, is something that you should all be proud of, just as I am proud of you. Though I know that there are other enemies out there, this galaxy is safe from both the Replicators and the Goa'uld. I hope this will mean that, from this day on, the Stargate will be used mainly as an instrument for peace and exploration, just as Doctor Jackson always hoped it would be." General Hammond held up his wine glass. "To peace."

"To peace," everyone toasted.

As the general got off the stage, Daniel and Sam got up onto it.

"Thank you, General Hammond," the archeologist said. "I truly hope that your wish for the Stargate will come true " He glanced at Sam and smiled. "Um, we've got an announcement of our own to make." He smiled. "Sam and I are engaged."

Everyone started cheering and applauding. Daniel and Sam noticed the looks that were on the faces of several people in particular. Jack, Janet and Cassie were all grinning so hugely that their faces appeared in danger of splitting in half. Teal'c was smiling, too, the biggest smile either of them had ever seen. As for Jacob, he looked so happy that he appeared almost on the verge of tears.

As soon as the couple got off the stage, they were mobbed by well-wishers. It took Jack yelling at everyone to give them some air to get the crowd to back off.

Jack laughed, coming up to them. "Okay, you two. How long have you been keeping this a secret?"

"I proposed to Sam the day I descended," Daniel replied.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"We wanted to wait until today to tell everyone," Sam explained.

Jacob engulfed his daughter in a hug, then shook Daniel's hand very heartily. "I have no words to say how overjoyed I am. Selmak is cheering, quite loudly, I might add."

Janet and Cassie both hurried up to the couple and pounced on them, hugging the breath out of them.

"Oh, this is just so fantastic!" the teen exclaimed.

"I can't tell you how happy I am," Janet said, her eyes bright with joy.

"It is, indeed, joyous news," Teal'c stated. "I am confident that your union will be a long and happy one."

Hammond came up as well. "Congratulations, you two. I am delighted by this news." He gave Sam a hug and shook Daniel's hand warmly.

"So, when's the wedding?" Cassie asked.

"We haven't discussed that yet," Daniel replied.

"Well, I see no need for a long engagement," Jack remarked. "You guys have known each other for going on eight years and have been practically living together for seven months. I think you already know everything about each other that you could possibly know."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other. _'He's got __**that**__ right,'_ Daniel commented to his lover silently.

_'Yes, he does,'_ Sam responded.

The second reason for celebration lifted everyone's mood even higher, and quite a few people started dancing.

Jack was watching Daniel and Sam dance when a woman with long brown hair came up to him.

"General O'Neill? I'm Kerry Johnson. I'm the program's new CIA liaison."

Jack shook her hand. "CIA, huh? So, were you ever an agent or have you always been a paper pusher?"

"I've never been an agent, but I try to push as little paper as I can manage to get away with. I detest paperwork."

Jack smiled. "Well, I already see one thing we have in common."

Kerry smiled as well. "Who knows what else there might be?"

--------------------------------------------------

Janet smiled as she watched the newly engaged couple dancing closely together. She really was happy for them. After so many years of sorrow and heartache, they'd finally found lasting joy.

Though her happiness for Daniel and Sam was genuine, Janet couldn't help but also feel a touch of sadness and more than a touch of loneliness. Very soon, Cassie would be going off to college, then Janet would once again be alone, no one to greet her when she came home from a long day at work. Deep in her heart, Janet knew who it was that she wanted that person to be, but that was a foolish, hopeless dream.

The doctor's eyes began searching the crowd for someone in particular. When she found him, she saw that he was deep in conversation with a pretty brunette. She kept watching, seeing them smiling and laughing, and a surprisingly sharp jab of jealousy speared through her. She tried to ignore it, push it out of her mind, but she couldn't.

Janet chastised herself for the emotion. For months, she had done a good job of putting out of her head the feelings that had started growing inside her for Jack. It hadn't always been easy, especially thoughts about the kiss they shared last Christmas Eve and the way it made her feel. But Janet had a lot of experience controlling her emotions. She had to be in her line of work. She'd been doing all right, just fine, in fact. Now, all at once, she _wasn't_ doing all right.

When Jack took Kerry out on the dance floor, Janet's jealousy turned to sadness. This was ridiculous. Okay, so the general looked like he was interested in that woman. Fine. She should be happy that Jack might have found someone to be with. He deserved it. He'd been alone for way too long.

But she wasn't feeling happy at all, and that made her angry at herself.

Janet paid little attention to the party for the next half-hour. It seemed that, whenever she saw Jack, he was talking to that woman or she was with him talking to someone else.

Finally, Janet decided she needed some air. She got her coat and went outside. Jack, who'd been glancing about the room, noticed her leave and frowned. Janet was leaving already? Did she get called away on an emergency?

Deciding to find out, he excused himself and headed outside.

* * *

Yes, I know. Another cliffhanger. I just had to squeeze one more into this fic. :-D 


	56. Chapter 56

**Author's Note:** TISSUE WARNING! Any of you who think you might need it should have a box of tissues handy for this chapter. Don't say I didn't warn you. :-D

* * *

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Looking about, Jack spotted Janet over in the shadows near the corner of the building. She was just standing there, head down, arms crossed in such a way that she was almost hugging herself. Jack hesitated, wondering if he should just go back in and leave her alone. His curiosity and concern won out, and he approached her. She was turned almost fully away from him, so she didn't see him coming. He was just a few feet away when he stopped and spoke her name. Janet spun around, and Jack was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"Janet, what's wrong?" he immediately asked.

"Nothing," Janet said, wiping her eyes. "Nothing's wrong."

"Really. Well, you never struck me as the kind of woman who cried over nothing. In fact, since I've known you, I have seen you cry only two other times, after we lost Daniel and when we all thought that he, Carter and Teal'c were dead. So, forgive me if I don't believe you when you say nothing's wrong."

Janet lifted her chin. "It's private, General, something that I would prefer not discussing. Was there something you wanted, sir?"

Frowning at the coldness in her voice, Jack shook her head. "No. I just saw you come out here, and I wondered why. I thought you might have gotten an emergency call from the base."

"I'm surprised you noticed," Janet muttered under her breath.

Jack's frown deepened. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Forget I said that, sir." She tried to move past him, but Jack caught her arm.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doc. What did you mean by that?"

Janet didn't look at him. "I simply couldn't help but notice that you've been spending a lot of time with one of the guests, a woman with long brown hair."

"Kerry Johnson? She's the new CIA liaison. Yes, I've been chatting with her. Charming lady. It turns out that we have a lot of mutual interests."

"I see."

If possible, the temperature of Janet's voice had dropped even lower.

"Well, if you will excuse me, sir, I'm going to go inside," she said stiffly, not looking at him. "I'll be leaving soon, and I want to make arrangements for Cassie to be brought home if she wants to stay longer."

Staring at her, a thought suddenly occurred to Jack, one that both delighted and alarmed him and made a feeling start to grow deep inside, a very dangerous feeling.

"You're jealous," he said in a tone that had dropped in pitch.

Janet's head jerked up, brown eyes glaring at him. "I am not! General, how dare you even suggest such a thing? It is totally inappropriate of you to—"

"Shut up," Jack growled low in his throat.

Janet's eyes widened, stunned by what he'd just said.

"What?! General, how dare you—"

Janet's voice came to a very abrupt halt as Jack yanked her against him and brought his lips down to hers in a hard kiss. For several seconds, Janet just stood there, stiff as a board. Then she suddenly melted. Her lips softened beneath Jack's, and she began to respond. He clutched her tighter against him. And then his tongue found its way into her mouth, and, all at once, they were kissing with voracious hunger, their passion fueled by the anger of moments ago.

Janet was nearly lifted off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on for dear life, awash in the pure, unadulterated desire to keep right on kissing forever.

But the kiss did finally end, both of them dizzy from lack of oxygen. Jack looked down at her, his eyes almost black, desire flickering within their depths.

"Janet," he murmured huskily.

All at once, the thought that what they were doing was a violation of regulations hit them like a blow to the head. Jack released Janet and backed up a hasty step.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that. It was inexcusable."

"I-it's all right," Janet stammered as she smoothed her hair with trembling hands. "We just got angry, and our emotions got the better of us. That's all."

Jack shook his head. "No, that isn't it all, and you know it."

Janet's gaze fell to the ground.

"Janet, for years, I had feelings for a certain someone, someone I couldn't have because of regulations. You know who that someone is because you were there when she and I had no choice but to reveal those feelings. After that day, the two of us never talked about how we felt. There were times when I wanted to, but I kept my mouth shut because there was nothing I could do about those feelings. In time, the feelings faded. She has someone else, now, and I couldn't be happier for her." Jack paused. "Now, I'm . . . feeling things for somebody else, another woman under my command, and, just like Sam, I can't have her."

Surprised, Janet looked up at Jack, seeing the truth in his eyes.

"But, this time, I'm not going to say nothing," he said. "I . . . feel things for you, Janet, things I shouldn't, things I tried like hell not to feel. You have no idea how unexpected this is. Out of all the women I know, I'd never have dreamed that it would be you that I'd . . . feel this way for. But I do, and I know that nothing can come of it." He reached out to touch her cheek, but stopped, dropping his hand back to his side. He drew in a deep breath. "We have to forget about this. We have to pretend that it doesn't exist."

Tears filled Janet's eyes. "I know," she whispered.

"I'm not going to say that maybe, someday, things will be different. I'm not ready to retire, and I'd never want to see you leave the SGC. But I don't know what the future will bring."

Janet nodded, her heart aching, her control hanging by a thread.

Jack's hand lifted again, this time not stopping. He caressed her cheek once, softly, wanting so much to kiss her again.

Straightening his spine, Jack then walked away. Janet stood there for a long moment before taking full control of her emotions and also heading for the door.

Around the corner, his presence having gone undiscovered by the two people, was Daniel. He'd escaped out the side door to get away from the crowd for a while and had been an unexpected eavesdropper to what just happened between Jack and Janet. He hadn't been there to hear the whole thing, but he'd heard enough.

Daniel wasn't surprised by the emotions he'd heard revealed. He'd already known that Jack had feelings for Janet. What _did_ surprise him was that Jack actually spoke those feelings aloud to her. Daniel knew that the only reason why the feelings that had existed between Jack and Sam were ever spoken aloud was that they'd had no other choice. For Jack to actually reveal his heart to Janet like that must mean that he loved her very deeply. And they could never be together, not as long as Janet was under Jack's command.

Feeling terribly sad for his friends, Daniel went back inside. He tried to get back into the mood of the party, but couldn't quite manage it. Sam, of course, noticed.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Not here. I'll tell you later."

The party finally began winding down. Several people stayed behind to help clean up, which made it go quickly. Sam noticed that Janet was not among them and realized that she hadn't seen the doctor in a while.

"Cassie, where's your mom?" she asked.

"Oh, she said she wasn't feeling too well and left a while ago. I'm getting a ride home from Sergeant Siler."

"Is she okay?" Sam asked in concern.

"Yeah, she just said that her stomach was a bit upset."

"Well, tell her that I hope she's feeling better."

"I will."

Once the cleaning up was complete, everyone said goodbye and headed their separate ways. Daniel and Sam went back to his place.

"Okay, so tell me what happened that changed your mood," Sam said just moments after they were in the door.

Daniel hesitated. "I probably shouldn't since you're in the Air Force and under Jack's command, but I know you won't say anything to anyone."

Sam frowned. "Daniel, what is this about?"

He told her what he'd heard of the conversation between Jack and Janet.

"Oh, Daniel. I feel so awful for them. When I had those feelings for Jack, sometimes, it really hurt to know that we'd probably never be together."

"Yeah," Daniel murmured, remembering what it was like when he thought that he'd never be with Sam.

"I wish there was something we could do."

"Well, short of convincing Jack to retire, I don't know what we could do." Daniel shrugged. "You never know. Now that the Goa'uld are gone, maybe, in time, Jack _will_ decide to retire. I know that if I had to leave the SGC to be with you, I would in a heartbeat."

Sam nodded. "Maybe he will. I'd hate to see him leave, but if it meant that he and Janet could be together, it would be worth it."

--------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Daniel was busy with a translation when he sensed Jacob's approach.

"Busy?" the man asked as he came in.

"Nothing that can't be put off for a few minutes. What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you in private, man to man, that you have made me the happiest a father could be."

Daniel's gaze immediately dropped to the desk.

"All fathers wish for the best for their children, at least those who give a damn. They want to see their kids happy, to find love and start a family of their own. When Sam got involved with Jonas Hansen, I knew from the start that he wasn't the right man for her. I was relieved when Sam called off the engagement. For years after that, I kept hoping that she'd meet someone who really was right for her, someone who'd make her happy. Even after I became a Tok'ra and my whole life changed, I still had that wish. You, Daniel, are the right man for her. I know that we've talked about this before, but I want you to really understand that knowing my daughter will be spending the rest of her life with you is the best personal news I could ever receive." Jacob smiled. "And the fact that you're the one responsible for the best news I could ever get as a Tok'ra makes it even better. I haven't been involved in this war for very long, not compared to the millennia that the Tok'ra have been fighting it, but from Selmak's memories, I have seen the centuries of loss and hardship, the struggle to win against an enemy so much more powerful and numerous than the Tok'ra. It's been a long, hard battle, and, thanks to you, it's now over for good."

"Jacob, I only played one part in this. Without all of our efforts, it would never have happened."

Jacob nodded. "Yes, you're right. This is a victory we've all fought hard for, and we can all share in the pride that it's been achieved."

The Tok'ra held out his hand. Daniel got to his feet and took it, finding himself pulled into a warm embrace. In the midst of the happy feelings, he began sensing something, something that made him grow still. As the two men parted, Daniel searched Jacob's face.

"What's wrong?" the Tok'ra asked.

"Selmak. He's dying."

Jacob's gaze dropped. He sighed. "Yes."

"How long have you known?"

"For a while now. He's old, Daniel, two thousand years, the oldest living Tok'ra. Using the sarcophagus, a Goa'uld can live for tens of thousands of years. The Tok'ra do not use the sarcophagus, so their life span is much shorter."

"He doesn't have much longer, Jacob."

Jacob nodded. "I know. He's been telling me that I have to let him go, but I thought we needed him to help fight Anubis. And. . . . Daniel, the bond between a Tok'ra and his host is so complete, beyond mere friendship. I . . . didn't want to let him go." Jacob sighed again. "But I know that I have to. If I don't, I'll die with him."

"I wish I could do something to help. I have the power to heal, but I can't reverse old age. I couldn't do that even when I was ascended. The most I could even hope to do is strengthen him a little, give him a bit more time, and I'm not even sure of that. He isn't even close to being human."

Jacob smiled gently. "No, Daniel. Selmak doesn't expect you to do anything, and neither do I. Anything you did would just be delaying the inevitable."

Daniel felt very sad, both for Jacob and for the loss of Selmak. He'd had very few chances to talk to the symbiote himself, but the few times he had, he'd seen someone who was good, and noble, and honestly cared about people. Selmak's death was going to be a great loss.

"What needs to be done?" Daniel asked softly.

"In a situation like this, the symbiote usually leaves the body of the host, either on its own or with the help of the other the Tok'ra, if it's too weak to do it alone. The effort will kill it almost immediately." Jacob's attention turned inward for a moment. "He says that it needs to be done very soon, before he is too weak to prevent the release of the poison that a symbiote releases as they die."

_'All right, my old and dear friend,'_ Jacob told Selmak silently. _'I don't want to say goodbye, but I know it's time.' _

Jacob returned his attention to Daniel, who was looking at him sadly. "I need to talk to Sam, and then I need to contact the Tok'ra."

Jacob went to his daughter's lab. He watched her a moment from the door before she noticed him and smiled.

"Hey, Dad." Then she got a better look at his expression. "What's wrong?"

Jacob came forward and took her hands. "There's something I have to tell you. It's about Selmak. He's dying, Sammie. He doesn't have much longer to live."

Tears filled Sam's eyes. "Oh, no," she whispered.

"I've been putting it off, but I can't any longer. I need to let him go."

"Oh, Dad. I'm so sorry." Sam wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back tightly.

"I'm going to call the Tok'ra and tell them," Jacob said as they finally drew apart. "I want it to happen here, with my friends and family, with the people Selmak has come to care about, too."

Sam wiped a tear from her face. "Is there something we can do to help?"

"No, just be there for us."

Sam nodded.

Giving his daughter a second, briefer hug, Jacob then went to Jack and told him. Jack didn't think he'd ever feel sorrow over the death of a Tok'ra, but he'd been wrong. Out of all of them, Selmak had been the one Tok'ra Jack truly liked and respected.

Two hours later, a small party of Tok'ra came through the gate. Considering who Selmak was, there should have been more. The entire High Council should have been there to say farewell and pay their final respects, but Selmak and Jacob's relationship with the High Council had greatly eroded, especially since the day they found out that the council had deliberately kept from them the fact that there was a Tok'ra spy in Olokun's inner circle.

Selmak was not upset that so few of his fellow Tok'ra had come. He wanted his final moments to be spent only with the people who cared about him.

Everything was set up in one of the infirmary isolation rooms. Lying on the bed, Jacob looked at Jack and the three members of SG-1.

"Selmak wants to say something to each of you privately," he said. "Jack, you're first."

The others left the room.

"Jack," said the deep, echoing voice of Selmak. "What can I say? You are one of the most aggravating humans I have ever met. But you're also one of the bravest, one of the most determined and dedicated to helping your world. I have admired your strength and stubbornness at the same time as I cursed it. You are a good, man, Jack, and one of the best leaders I have ever known."

Touched by the symbiote's words, Jack didn't know what to say, "Thank you," he finally murmured. "I've made no secret of what I think about the Tok'ra, but, coming from you . . . it means something to me to hear that. You're a good . . . person, Selmak, definitely the best damn one of the whole lot of you. The Tok'ra are going to be a lot poorer without you."

"Thank you, Jack."

Teal'c was the next one to come in.

"Teal'c," Selmak said. "When I learned that a Jaffa had openly defied and rebelled against the Goa'uld, I almost couldn't believe it. And then I met you, and I thought, 'Yes. I see it. This one is not a sheep who followed the Goa'uld without question.' I have such great respect and admiration for you. What you did took so much courage and strength. You paved the way to the freedom your people now have, and I know that you will continue to lead them into becoming a great nation."

"Selmak," Teal'c said, feeling pride and honor that the Tok'ra felt that way. "The Jaffa and the Tok'ra have never been friends, and I believe never will be. But you are a great one among your kind, one who deserves the respect of all Jaffa. I will grieve upon your passing, my friend."

Teal'c crossed an arm over his chest and bowed his head in deep respect.

It was Daniel who came in next. Selmak smiled at him. "Ah, Daniel. You have made this old Tok'ra very happy. I cannot express my joy in the knowledge that you and she will be together. My only regret is that I'm not going to get to see the wedding and all the children I hope you'll have. Through my hosts, I'm a grandparent many times over, but I know that I'd have taken special pride in the grandchildren you and Sam will give Jacob."

The Tok'ra laid a hand on Daniel's forearm. "Daniel, in all my two thousands years, you are one of the most courageous, noble, selfless and compassionate people that I have ever met. From you I learned how limitless the depths of forgiveness and mercy can be. Since gaining your abilities, I've seen you grow and mature even more, becoming a man of such amazing strength and determination, a true leader, though I know you probably wouldn't agree with that. You have succeeded in doing something that I believe many of the Tok'ra thought would never happen. You have completely rid this galaxy of the Goa'uld for all time, and, for that alone, you will have a great place in history. It has been a great honor to know you, Daniel."

Daniel felt the sting of tears, and, for a moment, he couldn't speak. "I don't really know what to say."

Selmak chuckled. "Too bad Jack's not here. He'd call this a red letter day."

That made Daniel smile. "I never got to talk to you much. It was usually Jacob. But I know the kind of person you are through him and through the things you've done for us. We owe you a lot, Selmak, more than we could ever have repaid you for. I'm not like Jack. I never disliked the Tok'ra, although I have had . . . issues with one or two of them."

That made Selmak laugh again.

"I recognize that the Tok'ra did help us a lot, that there are things we accomplished that we never would have without them. But out of all of them, you're the one who helped us the most, the one who was our greatest friend and our strongest ally. And for that, I want to thank you."

Selmak nodded once. "Thank you. Your words mean a great deal to me." He gazed deeply into Daniel's eyes. "Tell all the others not to grieve for me. I've had a long, full life, and I have had the pleasure and privilege of living long enough to see the dream of the Tok'ra come true. I'm dying happy and content." He grasped Daniel's upper arm. "Goodbye, my friend. I leave knowing that the universe is a far better place now and that you will be here to continue fighting for all humanity and its allies."

Daniel gave a nod, his throat tightening. Feeling sad, yet also strangely uplifted, he left the room.

The archeologist walked up to Sam. "It's your turn, Sam."

"I don't know what to say to him," she said, already starting to cry.

"Say what's in your heart, Sam. That's what he wants."

Slowly, Sam entered the room. The face of her father smiled at her.

"Sam," Selmak said. "Come. Sit beside me."

Sam took the seat beside the bed, and Selmak took her hand.

"Martouf told you long ago that, with the Tok'ra, the host and the symbiote feel as one. What the host feels so, too, does the symbiote. The fact is that this is not always entirely true. Sometimes, host and symbiote do not completely share feelings. But, other times, it is very true." Selmak looked into her eyes. "When Jacob became my host, I came to love you like my own daughter. The pride he has in you is a pride I have as well. When he was fearful or worried over you, I had those same feelings. When you grieved and it tore his heart to see it, that pain was also within me." The Tok'ra touched her cheek. "You are precious to both of us."

Sam began crying again. She pressed his hand against her cheek.

"If I had been born human," Selmak said, "and had been blessed with children, I can think of no one that I'd rather have as a daughter than you. You are such a beautiful woman, both on the outside and on the inside, the place that truly matters. Many of my fellow Tok'ra would scoff if they heard me say that your intelligence can be nothing short of amazing. They tend to forget that much of our intelligence comes from our longer lives and having access to more advanced technology and knowledge. You don't have those advantages, yet you have accomplished things that the Tok'ra could not. And that really is incredible."

The Tok'ra smiled. "Jacob wasn't lying when he said I was cheering when you and Daniel announced your engagement. I can't tell you how happy it made me feel when you two became a couple, and that joy grew even more when I heard that you'll be joining yourselves to each other for the rest of your lives. I am so happy for both of you. I know that you'll have a wonderful life together."

Selmak took her hand in both of his. "Sam, I want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"After I'm gone, I want you to help Jacob. Every time a symbiote loses a host, we grieve, but from the moment we are joined with a host, we know that a day will come when that host will die and we'll have to say goodbye. We prepare ourselves for that eventuality. But on that rare occasion when a host loses their Tok'ra symbiote, it can be so much harder. The host does not expect to be the one who outlives the other. Also, with a symbiote, when the host dies, a new host is found, and bonding with that one helps ease our pain. It was that way when I bonded with Jacob. But Jacob will not have that. There will be no new symbiote to help ease his pain. He will be alone within himself, no more voice speaking mind to mind, no more consciousness to share his inmost thoughts and feelings with. It will be so very lonely for him after I'm gone."

Sam was almost sobbing now, already hurting for her father.

"You know your father, Sam. He'll pretend that he's all right. Don't let him get away with it. Get him to talk about how he feels."

Sam nodded. "I will." She gave him a watery smile. "Is he yelling at you right now for telling me this?"

Selmak let out a soft chuckle. "As a matter of fact, he is. And let me say that his comments are less than complimentary."

Sam choked back a little laugh. She then leaned forward and gently kissed the man's cheek. "That was for you, Selmak. You saved my father's life, for which I will always be grateful. I know that these years he's spent with you have taught him so many things and given him a much richer life. He's gotten to experience things that so few people do. I want to thank you for that, too." She took his hand again. "And I want to thank you for me. Not only did you save my dad's life, you also brought the two of us closer together. We've been able to share things that we never would have otherwise. I always wondered what it would be like to really work with my dad, side-by-side. You made that possible, and it was great. I wish that Mark was here to thank you for your part in healing his relationship with Dad. We all owe you for that."

Getting up out of her chair, Sam wrapped her arms around the man who wore her father's body, but, at that moment, was a person that she had come to like and respect in his own right.

Once they drew apart, Selmak gave her a peaceful smile. "It's time now, Sam. Please ask the Tok'ra to come in."

"Do . . . do you want me to stay?"

"No, it would be best if you weren't here. It will be easier for both you and your father."

Saying goodbye one last time, Sam left the room, telling the Tok'ra that Selmak was ready. Janet went in with them to monitor Jacob's condition.

Sam sat down beside Daniel, and he put his arm around her.

"Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"Yeah. I'm worried for Dad, though. It isn't going to be easy for him afterwards."

"We'll help him get through, Sam, all of us."

A while later, one of the Tok'ra came back out.

"It is done," he said solemnly.

"Is my father all right?" Sam asked.

The man nodded. "He is resting now. The process weakens the host to some extent, but he will regain his strength quickly."

Sam looked at Daniel. "I'm going to sit with him."

He gave her an understanding smile. "Okay. You know where I'll be if you need me."

It was a little over an hour later that Jacob awakened.

"Selmak," he murmured. His eyes then blinked open, full of confusion. And then the memories came, along with the realization that he'd never hear Selmak in his mind again. Sudden grief came crashing down upon him. He felt empty, like only half a person.

Jacob felt someone clutch his hand. He turned to see Sam sitting beside him.

"Dad," she whispered, her eyes dark with shared grief.

"He's gone, Sammie," Jacob said.

Sam nodded and started to cry.

"I feel . . . lost."

"I know, Dad, but it'll be okay. I'm here, and it'll be okay." Sam got to her feet and wrapped her father in a tight hug, feeling his body shake against hers with suppressed sobs.


	57. Chapter 57

Well, here it is, the final chapter and epilogue for this fanfic and the What You Already Know series. A very big thank you for all the reviews and to all of you have faithfully followed me on this long journey. At the end of the epilogue you'll find some facts and figures on this very long tale.

Oh, by the way, I chose this day to post the finale because it's my birthday. :-)

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CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

At 3:30 the next afternoon, Daniel and Teal'c stepped through the Stargate on Dakara. The archeologist was stunned by the sight that met his eyes. Thousands of Jaffa stood all around the gate. He hadn't expected this many.

What happened next really did not make Daniel happy. Every single one of the Jaffa that he could see crossed their arm over their chest and deeply bowed their head.

One of the Jaffa stepped forward. "It is a great honor that you have come, Dan'yar," he said, his tone one of quiet reverence.

"What's your name?" Daniel asked.

"I am Akdar."

"I'm honored to meet you, Akdar, but I am not Dan'yar anymore. My name is Daniel." He held out his hand to the man.

Akdar hesitated, clearly uncertain, then he grasped Daniel's forearm, and the archeologist did the same.

The two members of SG-1 walked across the courtyard, the mass of Jaffa parting to let them pass. They ascended the stairs leading up to the structure that sat nestled against the mountain. Just beyond the four columns at the entrance they found many familiar faces, including Bra'tac, Ka'ter, Raknor, M'zel, Har'tec, and, to Teal'c's delight, Ry'ac, his young wife, Ka'ryn, and Ishta. Teal'c stepped forward and embraced his son.

"Ry'ac, I did not know that you would be here."

"We did not wish to miss it, Father. This is a glorious day for all Jaffa."

Bra'tac stepped up to them with a smile. "Come. The others await us."

The group went into the main chamber of the building. Around thirty Jaffa already stood waiting inside. Daniel's eyes went briefly to the darkened entrance of the room that held the control console for a weapon that no longer existed.

As everyone except Daniel, Teal'c and Bra'tac joined the others, Tolok stepped to the fore.

"For the first time in the history of our race, we stand here today as a free people," he said as he walked slowly around the room, looking at those assembled. "All of our brothers and sisters across the galaxy are slaves no more. Their masters, the Goa'uld, are gone and shall never return." He turned and stepped up to Teal'c and Bra'tac. "These two men have fought long and hard for this day, for a goal that, in the beginning, they were the only ones to have the courage and determination to pursue. If it had not been for their actions, I believe that this day may never have come." Tolok then moved to Daniel and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This man, though he is not Jaffa, has battled as fiercely for the destruction of the Goa'uld as any one of us here in this room. Because of his actions and the power he possesses, we have seen a complete end to the Goa'uld far sooner than any of us could have hoped or imagined."

Tolok took a small step back, facing all three men. "Brothers Bra'tac of Chulak and Teal'c of the Tau'ri, for your enduring courage, vision and strength of will that was instrumental in gaining our freedom from the Goa'uld, and Daniel Jackson of the Tau'ri, for your mighty power that dealt the final blow against the Goa'uld and prevented the destruction of all life in this galaxy, I hereby bestow upon you the highest honor any Jaffa can know." He began touching the head of his staff weapon to each of their shoulders, much like a ruler awarding a knighthood. "From this day forward, you shall be known as blood kin to all Jaffa!"

Daniel was stunned. He'd been expecting something, but not this.

The other Jaffa began to cheer. Tolok raised his hand to silence them. He and the others then knelt before Teal'c, Bra'tac and Daniel, which upset all three of them. They look at each other. Bra'tac then walked up to Tolok and, taking his arm, made him get to his feet.

"Brothers!" he called out, causing the rest of the Jaffa to rise. "From this day forward, no Jaffa shall bow before anyone and never again before a false god."

Tolok turned to the assembled Jaffa. "Hail, Brother Bra'tac! Hail, Brother Teal'c! Hail Brother Daniel Jackson!"

The other Jaffa let out a shout, and someone blew a horn. Teal'c and Bra'tac, fists laid over their hearts, turned to walk out, Bra'tac gently taking Daniel's arm to bring him along.

"Be proud, Teal'c," Bra'tac said. "Today we are free."

His former student smiled. "Indeed we are, old friend."

"Um, did either of you know that was going to happen?" Daniel asked.

"We did not," Bra'tac replied. "We knew only that the Jaffa wished to honor all three of us." He looked at the human. "You should be greatly honored, Daniel Jackson. In the entire history of our people, no member of another race has been declared blood kin to all Jaffa."

"I am, Bra'tac. It's the highest honor I've ever received. So . . . what now? Do I, uh, have to do anything?"

Bra'tac smiled. "No actions are necessary on your part, except to respect what has been given to you this day."

As the three men stepped out into the sunshine, a mighty shout arose from the throats of every Jaffa assembled in the courtyard below. They lifted their staff weapons skyward and repeated the hail that had been given inside. Though Teal'c and Bra'tac handled it well, Daniel was a little overwhelmed.

"Oh, boy," he murmured under his breath. Well, at least this was a lot better than having them all calling him a god. He could handle being considered blood kin to all Jaffa.

Ka'ter, Har'tec and Ry'ac came up to the three. Ka'ter gave Daniel an embrace, smiling happily.

"I have heard about what happened," Ry'ac said, eyes filled with wonder. "Those who witnessed it said that it was a glorious sight."

"Indeed it was," Bra'tac confirmed. "Never in all of my one hundred and forty years have I seen anything more glorious."

Har'tec smiled at Daniel. "And this is the man that I dared challenge to Joma Secu. If I had but known what you had the power to become, I would have offered my allegiance to you along with all other Jaffa."

"Like I said then, Har'tec, I didn't want your allegiance, just your friendship and your help as an ally," Daniel responded. "That hasn't changed."

Har'tec rested a hand on his shoulder. "This you have, my friend, for as long as we may live."

Teal'c saw Ishta and Ka'ryn coming toward them. Bra'tac noticed who Teal'c was looking at and smiled.

"You need not keep us company, Teal'c," he said to his former student. "I am sure there are some here you would like to speak to."

Smiling slightly, Teal'c bowed his head and excused himself, going to Ishta. Ka'ryn came up and put her arm around her husband's waist.

"Daniel Jackson, may I speak with you in private for a moment?" Ka'ter asked.

"Sure."

The two men began descending the steps.

"I must confess that, when I witnessed your ascension, I had doubts that I would ever have the opportunity to embrace you as a brother," Ka'ter said. "I believed that, surely, you would not forsake the power and immortality of ascension for the life of a mortal again, at least not by choice."

"My place is not among the Ascended, Ka'ter. It's with my people and everyone I view as friends and allies."

The green-eyed Jaffa glanced at him. "Teal'c told us much, that you ascended to a plane above the others and that your power was far greater than theirs. They attempted to stop your actions but failed."

Daniel nodded. "Some of them tried to stop my attack on Anubis' forces. When they failed, they pretty much gave up. They realized that they couldn't stop me unless all of them worked together."

The two men reached the bottom of the stairs and began walking across the courtyard. Daniel noticed that virtually every Jaffa they passed bowed his head and cross an arm over his chest. A few crossed both arms, which really bothered the archeologist since the only time he'd ever seen that was when Bra'tac and Teal'c saw Oma on Kheb.

"There is something you should know," Ka'ter said. "You have been given the honor of being named a brother to all Jaffa, but there are some who believe that you are much more."

Uh oh. This was not sounding good. "More as in what exactly?"

"Some believe that you are still ascended, that you are merely taking on human form temporarily for some purpose."

"It doesn't work that way, Ka'ter. Yes, an Ascended can become corporeal for short lengths of time, a few hours at most, but if they stay in that form for too long, they will descend."

"Even so, it is a belief held by quite a number."

"Okay, is that the worst of it or is there more?"

"Some among those who believe this feel that such a being as you became must surely be like a god, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-seeing."

_'Crap,'_ Daniel cursed in his head. "Okay, first of all, though the Ascended are very powerful, they are not_all_-powerful. There are limits to what they can do. Even on that plane I ascended to there are limits. Second, I can tell you that the Ascended are not all-knowing or all-seeing."

"This I know, Daniel Jackson. I am not among the ones who have this belief."

"So, is this going to be a problem?"

"I do not believe so. The number of Jaffa who feel this way is small. However, there is a large number who still view you with great reverence, far more than being named blood kin to all Jaffa would deserve. That feeling of veneration remains even though they know that you have descended. They believe that, even as a human, your power is mighty, and, more than this, that you have the ability to ascend again at will."

Daniel's gaze instantly fell to the ground, but Ka'ter saw the look that had been on the archeologist's face. He halted abruptly, causing Daniel to stop as well.

"It is true?" the Jaffa asked in wonder. "You can ascend again?"

"I don't know that for sure, Ka'ter."

"But you believe it is possible."

Daniel sighed. "Yes."

Ka'ter gazed at him in amazement. "Then you will never die."

"No, that's not true, Ka'ter. Though it is possible that I can ascend again, that doesn't mean that, if I received a fatal injury, I'd ascend before I died. When I ascended this second time, it took a conscious effort on my part. I consciously made myself ascend. If I was suddenly killed, there would be no time to do that."

"But if your death was not immediate, you could ascend before you died."

"If I was conscious, maybe. I don't know, and I hope I never have to find out, or at least not until I'm really, really old. I intend to stay human for as long as I possibly can."

The two men resumed walking.

"I was not anticipating this," Ka'ter said. "I had assumed that you would tell me this second ascension was your last, that you could never do it again. I intended to pass on that information to others."

"Okay, so you couldn't do that without lying, but that doesn't mean that you have to tell them they may be right about me."

"No, of course. I will speak of this to no one."

"So, what does this mean, that so many Jaffa feel that way about me?"

"It may mean nothing. Now that the Goa'uld are gone and we will be setting up our own government, our own leaders, how the Jaffa look upon you should have no effect to our future as a people. It is doubtful that a religion will be created with you as its deity."

"God, I hope not," Daniel said fervently.

Smiling, Ka'ter continued. "I just believed that you should know about this so that, if you encounter any Jaffa in the future, you will be prepared."

"Thanks for the warning. It is definitely better to know about something like this ahead of time."

The two men turned and began retracing their steps.

"Ka'ter, there is actually something I'd like to ask you personally," Daniel said.

"Yes?"

"I've really appreciated the things you've done, the ways that you've helped me, and, at times, defended me. I think of you as a good friend."

"I think of you as a good friend as well, Daniel Jackson," Ka'ter responded softly.

"Samantha Carter and I are getting married, and I would like you to attend the wedding."

Clearly deeply touched by the invitation, Ka'ter stopped and clapped a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "My heartfelt congratulations, Daniel Jackson. It would be a great honor to be present at the ceremony. Thank you."

Daniel smiled. "I'll leave word for you here on Dakara before the wedding takes place so that you can get to Earth in time."

Around an hour later, Daniel, Bra'tac and Teal'c headed for the Stargate. On the way, Daniel gave an invitation to the wedding to the Master Jaffa.

Grinning, Bra'tac said, "This is, indeed, good news, my young friend. You and Colonel Carter are a good match. I would be pleased to attend your union."

"I will return to Earth in four days," Teal'c told Daniel once they'd reached the gate.

"Okay. Just don't be late. Cassie's party starts at three."

"I will return on time."

"There is something you and the Tau'ri must know," Bra'tac said to Daniel. "It has been decided by all the Jaffa that, before each Primta reaches maturation, it will be removed and killed and the Jaffa that carried it will begin using Tretonin. Many Jaffa have already said that they no longer wish to carry a Goa'uld in their bodies and want to remove it as soon as possible."

"I'm glad to hear that," Daniel responded.

"When the last Primta is gone, our bondage to the Goa'uld will truly be at an end for all time," said Teal'c.

Saying goodbye to the two Jaffa, Daniel dialed Earth and sent the I.D.C. code. Then he walked up the steps and entered the wormhole that would take him home.

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"So, how did it go with Joe's wife?" Daniel asked Jack that evening after the general had returned from Indiana.

"Well, at first, she thought that I was some guy Joe had somehow talked into telling her all that stuff was true."

"How did you convince her otherwise?"

"I showed her photos of the gate and some of the planets we've been to, the ones that are way too alien-looking to be somewhere on Earth. She knew that it would have been way too elaborate a ruse for Joe to manage."

"So, how'd she take it, knowing all that stuff was real?"

"Oh, she burst into tears and started hugging the stuffing out of Joe, telling him over and over again that she was sorry."

Daniel smiled. "I bet that made him happy."

"Oh, yeah. I managed to squeeze in getting her signature on the nondisclosure statement between the hugging and kissing. She was quite delighted when she found out that there would be no more visions."

"So, what now? He lost his business, and none of his friends or former customers are going to know that it was all real."

"I offered him a job."

"You did?"

"Uh huh. Base barber. Part-time, of course. There aren't enough heads here to keep him busy forty hours a week. I figured he could set up a barber shop in town that caters to the military. He'll have to learn how to do a proper military buzz cut, of course."

"Did he accept?" Daniel asked.

"Are you kidding? As base barber, he'll have clearance to hear all about the missions. He'll be in heaven. His wife wasn't so easy to convince. Colorado Springs is a lot bigger than the town they live in. But she decided that a fresh start would be good for the family. I'm sure that once she takes in all the shopping opportunities here and in Denver, she'll adapt quite nicely."

"Good. I'm glad it's going to work out for them."

Jack's expression grew serious. "How's Jacob?"

"Coping. It's going to take a while for him to adapt to not having Selmak. Sam's spending as much time as she can with him. She understands what he's going through. After Jolinar gave her life for Sam, she went through that period of depression."

"Yes, but she was a host for just a short time, not all the years Jacob was."

Daniel sighed. "Yeah. It's rough."

"Well, Jacob's a tough old bird. He'll be fine."

Daniel nodded. "General Hammond called to give his condolences."

"Yeah, well, he's not the only one who called. About five minutes after I got back to base, I found out that while you and I were both gone, a couple members of the Tok'ra High Council came through. Though they didn't exactly say so, I'm guessing that they don't like the idea of a man who has all that Tok'ra knowledge staying here on Earth where he can share every little bit of it with us. They wanted him to come back and live as, and I quote, 'an honored guest' of the Tok'ra."

Daniel stared at him. "You're joking."

"Oh, no. I'm quite serious. Talk about balls. How they thought that Jacob would actually agree is beyond me. I gotta tell you, Daniel. I really wish I'd waited a day to go to Indiana, because I'd have given my eye teeth to see what happened next."

"Which is?"

"Carter ripping them a new one. From what I understand, she just about peeled the paint off the gate room walls. The Tok'ra hightailed it back through the gate with their tails tucked between their legs."

Daniel started grinning, wishing he'd been there to witness that. He wondered why Sam hadn't told him about it. Perhaps she was embarrassed about her reaction.

Jack was also grinning. "Wanna see the tape?"

"There's a tape?"

"Uh huh. All the stuff that goes on in the gate room is taped. I was thinking we could make a big tub of popcorn, invite Teal'c and Jacob over. Not Carter, though. She'd be horrified."

"Sure. It'll have to wait until after Cassie's party, though."

"Of course." Jack shook his head. "Our little girl's goin' off to college. It's hard to believe, isn't it."

"Yes, it is. Sometimes, it seems like it was just yesterday that we found her. Other times. . . ."

"It seems like forever?"

Daniel nodded. "A lot has happened in those years."

"More than seems possible sometimes." Jack searched Daniel's face. "Any regrets?"

"Oh, Jack. If you only knew. There are too many to name."

The general looked at him sympathetically. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I just figured that, considering how it's all turned out, those regrets might not be so big anymore."

Daniel stared at the top of Jack's desk. "Some aren't. I know that some of the things that happened ultimately resulted in good things. As much as I wish that Abydos hadn't been destroyed, if I hadn't been stopped from doing something about Anubis and had succeeded in preventing him from using the weapon, I probably wouldn't have descended. I'd still be ascended, then all of the things I've accomplished since coming back wouldn't have happened. And I wouldn't have Sam."

"Well, that alone makes a lot of stuff all right."

Daniel smiled softly. "Yes, it does." The smile faded. "We've all lost a lot over these years, but, in the end, it's all turned out all right, _better_ than all right."

Jack rested a hand on his shoulder. "That it has, Daniel. That it has."

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The next morning, Jack got a call from the president. Upon hanging up with the man, he called Daniel and Sam to his office.

"Hayes would like you to come to the White House," he announced.

"What for?" Daniel asked.

Jack looked at him. "Do you really have to ask, Daniel?"

The archeologist's gaze immediately dropped. "Oh."

Jack smiled at the reaction. Yes, poor Daniel was going to have to suffer through still more praise and expressions of gratitude.

"He'd have liked Teal'c to be there as well," he said, "but I explained that he was on Dakara taking care of important Jaffa business."

"What about you, sir?" Sam asked.

"Oh, he did extend the invitation to me, but since I really didn't do much of anything, I politely declined."

"Sir, if it hadn't been for you and the others still here, the Replicators would have gotten off the base."

Jack shook his head. "About all we did was make it a little bit tougher for them. Regardless, if they'd gotten out, they would have been disintegrated before they got even halfway down the mountain. Nope, I didn't save a thing. All the credit goes to you two, Jacob, Teal'c and the other Jaffa. Hayes did also give an invitation to Jacob, but I thought he might not feel up to it."

"I'll ask him, sir."

"So, when does the president want us to come?" Daniel asked.

"You'll be on a flight out in the morning. Oh, and, this time, you get to spend the night in the White House. Cool, huh?"

After leaving Jack's office, Sam went back to her father's quarters. She told him about the invitation to the White House.

Jacob smiled softly. "I'm glad, Sam. You and Daniel deserve the recognition."

"You do, too, Dad. That's why the president also invited you."

Jacob shook his head. "It's Selmak who really deserves it, Sammie. What I did I couldn't have done without him."

Sam grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. He squeezed it back. Having her with him during this time had been a godsend. He felt closer to her now than he ever had in his life.

"So, how's Daniel taking the news that he's going to be heaped with even more praise?" he asked.

"Pretty much as you'd expect. At least he doesn't have to worry about the president giving him another Medal of Freedom."

Startled, Jacob started at her. "_Another_ Medal of Freedom?"

"Oh, that's right. I never did tell you, did I? Daniel was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction early this year."

A big smile lit Jacob's face, the first truly happy one she'd seen there since Selmak's death.

"That is wonderful news, Sam. It's about time he was officially recognized for everything he's done for this planet."

She nodded. "I agree. If the Stargate Program ever goes public, I'm sure that Daniel will get the Congressional Gold Medal, too. President Hayes said he'd do everything in his power to see that happen."

There was a brief moment of silence, during which Sam looked at her father closely.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked.

Jacob gave her a soft smile. "Better, Sam. It still hurts, but what really helps is that I have Selmak's memories right up here," he tapped the side of his head, "and, in a way, that makes it feel like a part of him is still with me. He may be gone, but he will always be a part of me."

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The next morning, Sam and Daniel were on the flight to Washington. Like before, they were met at the airport by a limo, which took them the rest of the way to the White House. _Unlike_ last time, they weren't subjected to an intensive search.

Hayes shook their hands warmly as they entered the Oval Office.

"Doctor Jackson, Colonel Carter. What can I say? I can't think of a thing that would even come close to expressing the appreciation we all have for what you did. This time, we don't just have the salvation of Earth to thank you for, but the whole damn galaxy. It doesn't get any bigger than that, well, unless you manage to save the whole universe one of these days."

Sam smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"Come. Sit down," Hayes invited as he walked toward the seating area. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"Thank you, sir, but we had lunch on the plane," Daniel replied.

Everyone took seats.

Hayes relaxed into his chair. "So, tell me all about it. I've gotten copies of all the reports, but that's not the same as hearing it first-hand from the people who lived it."

Daniel and Sam recounted all the events on Dakara, then the archeologist went on to tell Hayes about what happened with Anubis and the rest Goa'uld, and the other actions he took, including in the Pegasus galaxy.

"I just realized that I was wrong," the president said. "You didn't save _one_ galaxy, you saved _two_."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in embarrassment. "I wouldn't say that I saved the whole Pegasus galaxy, sir."

"Well, _I_ would, or at least you saved a major chunk of the human population there. You know, if I could get away with it, I'd give you another Medal of Freedom."

"Uh-uh, no, that's fine, sir," Daniel quickly stammered. "I don't need another one. Thanks anyway."

Hayes chuckled in amusement. "All right. I will, of course, be sending both of you official commendations, as well as ones to Teal'c, Jack and Jacob. However, I really would like to give you something extra to express my gratitude. Anything you want. Just name it."

Daniel was about to say that they didn't need anything when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Anything, sir?" he asked.

"Well, within reason, of course."

Daniel nodded and leaned forward. "There actually is something, Mister President, something that only you can give."

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Cassie's party took place Friday evening at Janet's. Just a few of Cassie's closest friends were there, so Jack, Janet, and the three members of SG-1 didn't feel too terribly out of place. Daniel did, however, have a bit of trouble with one girl who seemed to want to hang around him all the time. Sam had finally put a stop to that by linking her arm with his and giving the girl a long look and making sure that she saw the engagement ring on Sam's finger. Unfortunately, Teal'c didn't have that advantage. One of the other girls quite admired all his muscles and made no secret of that fact.

"So, you all packed?" Sam asked the Cassie at one point.

"Uh huh. I really had to squish it all into my suitcases. How's your dad? Mom told me about what happened."

"He's doing all right, better every day. He plans on visiting my brother next weekend. He wants me and Daniel to come along so that Mark can meet my fiancé. Daniel's pretty nervous about that."

"Oh, your brother will love him. How could he not?"

Sam smiled. "That's what I said. It's just that Pete, my ex-boyfriend, is a good friend of Mark's, so Daniel's afraid there might be some hard feelings. I don't think there will be."

It was around two hours later that Jack called for everyone's attention. By then all the guests except SG-1 and himself had gone home.

"Cassie, seven years ago, you came into our lives," he said. "Since then, you've become a part of our hearts. We've watched you grow, all of us proud of your accomplishments. Now, you're starting a new chapter of your life, and we couldn't be prouder of you." Jack raised his glass of sparkling cider. "To Cassandra Fraiser, may the years to come be filled with joy, success, love . . . and a whole lot of fun."

The others lifted their glasses and toasted Cassie.

Daniel and Sam exchanged a look, then the archeologist got to his feet.

"There's something that Sam and I have to tell you," he said.

"You've set the date!" Cassie cried excitedly.

"Nope, better than that."

Janet stared at the astrophysicist. "Sam, are you pregnant?"

"No!" she cried, blushing brightly.

"This has nothing to do with us," Daniel said, his cheeks also a bit pink. "When we were at the White House, the president asked if there was anything he could do for us in appreciation of the things we'd done. There wasn't anything that we wanted for ourselves, but there _was_ something that we wanted for someone else." Daniel pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Jack.

"What's this?" the general asked.

"Read it."

Jack opened the envelope and started to read. Soon, his eyes began to widen, his mouth falling open. He looked up at the archeologist.

"Daniel?"

His best friend smiled. "With his compliments, Jack . . . and ours."

"What is it?" Cassie asked, dying of curiosity.

Not answering, Jack handed the document to Janet, who gasped loudly upon seeing what it was, a hand covering her mouth.

"Mom?" Cassie inquired worriedly when she saw tears forming in her mother's eyes.

"I-it's a special dispensation," Janet said, a quiver in her voice.

Cassie frowned. "A special dispensation?"

"It means that your mom and General O'Neill have the president's permission to have a relationship, Cassie," Sam explained quietly, smiling. "It'll no longer be against regulations."

"Oh. My. God!" the teenager exclaimed at the top of her voice. She bounded out of her seat and threw her arms around Jack and Janet, nearly knocking them off the couch. The three witnesses started laughing, including Teal'c.

Once Cassie was finished with them, Janet and Jack rose to their feet and got Sam to stand up as well. The doctor then hugged the astrophysicist and Daniel tightly.

"How can we ever thank you?" she whispered.

"By being happy together," Sam replied.

Next, it was Jack's turn. He put a hand on each of their cheeks, shaking his head and laughing. Then he pulled them into a three-way hug.

They ordered some Chinese food to be delivered and all sat down to enjoy it. Daniel and Sam were pleased at seeing the frequent looks Jack and Janet gave each other. Of course, Cassie noticed, too, and smiled every time.

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c left after the meal. Janet walked with Jack out to his car shortly after the trio had gone.

"I still can't believe it," the general said.

"Neither can I. I can't believe they did that. How did they know about the thing between us? I know that Sam suspected I had feelings for you, but. . . ."

"Oh, Daniel's known for quite some time that I had a thing for you. In fact, he figured it out before I did. I asked him just before they left what made them do what they did. It turns out that he overheard what happened between us that night."

Janet's eyes widened. "He did?"

"Yep. He'd gone out the side door for some air and heard a big chunk of our conversation."

"Oh my."

"Uh huh." Jack looked into Janet's eyes. "Janet Fraiser, I would be honored if you would go out on a date with me."

Janet smiled. "I would be delighted General O'Neill."

Jack shook his head. "Not General O'Neill." He pulled Janet into his arms. "Call me Jack," he murmured before lowering his lips to hers.

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EPILOGUE

Jack, Janet, and the three members of SG-1 waved to Cassie a final time as she passed through the airport security checkpoint and then disappeared into the crowd. Janet wiped away a tear from her face, feeling Jack's arm go around her. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her.

"So, Teal'c," Jack said as they all headed back through the airport to the exit. "Are you heading back to you-know-where?"

"I am, O'Neill. There is still much to be done. Talks have begun regarding our new government and the leaders we will appoint."

The general nodded. "I gotta ask you . . . are we going to lose you at the SGC?"

"I have yet to make my decisions on what path I will choose to take, O'Neill. My people are at last free, a goal that has been most dear to my heart, and I wish to take part in the journey that lies ahead of us. Yet, after so many years, all that I have here has also become dear to me. The decision to leave would not be made easily."

"Well, you know what _I_ want," Jack said. "I want you to stay. But, if you decide to leave, I want you to know that you'll always have a home with us."

"Thank you, O'Neill."

They'd all come in Daniel's SUV, it being the car with the most room. The archeologist first dropped Jack and Janet off at her place, which was where Jack's car was, the general having gone there early to help with getting the nervous Cassie settled down and ready to go. Daniel and Sam then took Teal'c to the base. Back at Daniel's house, the couple fixed lunch.

"So, I guess we should start discussing the wedding date," Daniel said.

"Yes, we probably should."

He looked at Sam, grinning. "So, long engagement or short?"

She appeared to ponder the question for a while, then they both said at the same time, "Short." They laughed.

"How short?" Daniel asked.

"Hmm. Well, spring would be nice since we could have an outdoor wedding, but that's too far away."

Daniel's eyes twinkled. "Well, we are still having some nice days now."

Sam laughed a bit. "As much as it appeals to me to marry you in the next week or so, I don't think that will work out. Don't forget that there is more than one off-world guest who will be attending." Sam's gaze widened a bit. "Oh! We haven't told Catherine yet! I completely forgot."

"Well, let's come up with a date, then we'll call her. Hey, maybe I can ask a favor from Oma, and she can give us some warm weather for the wedding. She is Mother Nature, after all."

"And she does owe you one for helping her deal with Anubis."

"Just what I was thinking."

The lovers laughed again.

"I suppose we should give ourselves enough time to actually plan the thing," Sam decided. "So . . . around three or four months?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. That would put it in December or January."

They got a calendar and took a look at the dates, discussing which one they thought would work best. They agreed that it should be after Christmas, but they wanted to make it easy for Cassie to attend, so they decided to make it on Saturday, January 1st, New Year's Day, that date having the added benefit that all of the civilians and a greater number of the military personnel on base would have the day off.

"Hopefully, not too many people will have hangovers from the New Year's Eve parties," Daniel remarked.

"Yes, well, I think that you and I will be skipping the parties that New Year's Eve."

They got on the phone and called Catherine. The woman was almost speechless with joy when they told her the news. In fact, she started crying right there on the phone.

"You have made me so happy," she said. "I only wish that Ernest was still alive to share my happiness."

"Us too, Catherine," Daniel said softly. "We've got a lot of other happy news as well, but it would be best to tell you most of it in person. Maybe we can come for a visit one of these days."

"That would be lovely."

"There is one thing we can tell you now, though."

They told the woman about Jack and Janet, which delighted the woman all over again.

"Please given them my congratulations," she said.

"We will."

Daniel and Sam chatted with the woman a bit longer, then said goodbye. Daniel's refrigerator had not been stocked with fresh food since his return, so Sam decided to go do some grocery shopping for both him and herself.

"Although I don't know why I bother to stock food at my place," she said. "I'm here three-quarters of the week."

"Yes, the neighbors probably think we're already married. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Nope, you can get busy pulling some of those things out of the fridge that no longer bear much resemblance to food."

Daniel made a face. "Thanks for leaving that job to me."

Sam gave him a quick kiss. "Hey, it is your refrigerator."

Daniel pulled her to him. "For now. But, soon, it'll be both of ours."

Giving him another kiss, Sam went off to the store. With a sigh, Daniel headed for the kitchen.

He never arrived at his destination.

In the next instant, Daniel found himself not in his house, but in a place that looked exactly like Abydos. Shocked, he turned around and saw something that both stunned and delighted him. Before him stood a great crowd of Abydonians, Skaara and Kasuf standing at the front. The elder of the two smiled.

"My good son. It is with great joy that I greet you."

Daniel came forward. Unsure if he could touch them, he hesitated, so it was Skaara and his father who covered the remaining distance, wrapping Daniel in a big hug.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Daniel said.

"We would have come to you long ago," Skaara said, "but the Others would not let us."

"So why now?"

"Because much has changed."

"You are now great in the eyes of many of the Ascended," Kasuf said. "You, a human, has lifted himself up to a place above all of their kind and can do so again by wishing it so."

"Then I _can_ ascend again."

"Yes. You have the power to cross that barrier again, become one of us. There are some who would wish you to do so now and remain." Kasuf smiled. "But we who know you best know that it is not your time to be with us. That day will come, but not for many years." The man laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Good Son, I must tell you that I rejoice in your upcoming union with the golden-haired woman whom you love. Sha're would be most pleased."

Daniel's chest tightened. "Thank you, Good Father. It means a lot to me that you feel that way. I wish that you could be at the wedding."

"We will be, my brother," Skaara said with a smile.

"There is something you must know, Good Son," Kasuf said, "but we will let another tell you." He nodded his head to the right. Daniel turned to see Oma walking toward him.

"Hello, Daniel," she said with a smile.

"What is Kasuf talking about?"

"I once told you that you must be the teacher instead of the student."

"I remember. I didn't know what you meant."

"You have taught your lessons well."

"Um . . . I have?"

"For many eons of time, the Ascended have lived under the rule that we must not interfere with the lives of those who are not ascended. The reasons for that rule are many. Some you have already guessed, others remain hidden from you. Among the reasons was the fear that, if we allowed ourselves to use our power to change things, in time, the power would lead us down the path of darkness. We had good reason to fear this." Oma touched his cheek very much like she did on that first day they met so long ago. "But then you came, Daniel, a human whose spirit was pure and good, who could find enlightenment and be one of us if he only understood that he was worthy. I helped guide you that day you first ascended, but you could have found your way to us without my help if you had but known it was possible and felt in your heart that you were deserving of it. You were not meant to remain one of us then. Your destiny was to take another path, a greater one."

Oma smiled at him. "During this time that you have had your power, we have watched you, seen your struggles, your triumphs and failures. We witnessed how the power did not corrupt you, that you remained true to the goodness within you. A lesson we learned. And then you found the ultimate power that dwelled inside you and became greater than us. You used that power to destroy a great evil. Yet, even in that act, you showed mercy to ones whom you had reason to hate and did not kill them. You then turned your power upon another evil, and, again, you chose to preserve life instead of taking it. Another lesson was learned. You could have chosen to remain Ascended and used your power to do anything your heart desired. You were right that we could not have stopped you unless all of us acted as one. You could have made yourself a god in the eyes of many, had all the riches of the universe. Yet, instead, you chose to lower yourself back to a mortal human for the sake of love and because you had the wisdom to know yourself truly. And a third lesson we learned."

"Oma, what are you saying?" Daniel asked.

"You have been our teacher, Daniel. You have shown us that power does not always corrupt, not even absolute power. Most of us, though they understood the lesson, will continue as before, for, even though they see the truth you placed before us, their minds are set upon their present path. But others, those who already questioned the way of things, are finding new courage to seek another path for the Ascended. None of us will be silent any longer, keeping our thoughts in secret."

Daniel felt something inside him tighten. "Oma, are you talking about a rebellion?"

"Rebellion is an act of defiance, to defy that which is. Some rebellions are small things, whereas others can change the course of history. I cannot say what your lessons will lead to, only that you have shown some of us that we need not fear the path that we have long looked at but that most of us have not tread upon."

Behind Oma, other figures began appearing, first, by twos and threes, then by dozens. Among them Daniel recognized the faces of Shifu and Orlin. Soon, Daniel could no longer hope to keep count. His mind reeling, he watched as they all inclined their heads, a gesture of acknowledgment and approval.

Oma smiled again. "Farewell for now, Daniel. There will come a time when we will meet again."

Before Daniel could say anything, he found himself back in his house.

When Sam returned, she found Daniel sitting on the couch, staring at nothing, a dazed look on his face.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting beside him. He told her what happened.

"Holy Hannah," was Sam's response. "Do you really think that Oma was saying there was going to be a rebellion among the Ascended?"

"I don't know. Maybe it won't actually come to that. I hope not. A war between the Ascended would be a really bad thing."

"You're not kidding!"

"It could be that more of them are going to begin doing what Oma does, help people to reach ascension. And perhaps they'll start helping us 'lowers' in other ways, too. Nothing big, nothing that would affect an entire civilization, just little things. If a large enough number of them start doing that, what are the other Ascended going to do about it? They couldn't punish them all."

"No, I guess they couldn't." Sam smiled. "So, how does it feel to know that you were the teacher for such a prestigious class?"

"Overwhelming. I have to wonder what it's going to lead to." Daniel turned to her. "Sam, there are some things that Kasuf said that I've been thinking about. First of all, he confirmed that I can ascend again."

"He did? Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. I had a feeling that you could. It made sense that if you could do it once, you could do it again."

"Yes, but I have to wonder. How many times could a human body ascend, then descend before there was a problem? No one has ever ascended more than twice, and I don't think anyone besides me has _descended_twice. If I did ascended again, would I be all right when I came back? Every time I descend, I'm basically recreating my body from a . . . a genetic blueprint in my mind. There has to be a limit to how many times I could do that before something went wrong."

"I suppose you're right. Since no one's ever done it before, we can't know what the ramifications would be to multiple ascensions and descensions."

Daniel nodded. "And there's the flip side of the coin, too. I can't say that if I attempted to ascended again, I wouldn't screw up and not make it all the way, get stuck halfway like what happened to Anubis."

That made Sam shudder.

"So, I think that it would be best if we thought of it as an option only under extreme circumstances," Daniel said, "when there really is no other choice."

Sam nodded. "I agree."

Daniel took her hand. "There is something else Kasuf said. He told me that it was not yet my time to be one of them permanently. He said that day would come, but not for many years." He looked into her eyes. "Sam, as a human, I'm not ageless. I'll grow old just like the rest of us, and there will come a day when I'll die. When that time comes, I won't hold off until it's too late. I will ascend," he caressed her cheek, "and I'll bring you with me. Then we'll have forever together."

Sam smiled. "Forever."

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Whistling a happy tune, Jack walked out of the house and looked up at the blue sky. Ah, another beautiful morning in sunny Colorado Springs.

Jack had good reason to be happy. Last night, he and Janet had their first date, and it had been fantastic. They'd talked for hours, something Jack had never thought he'd enjoy. He'd learned a lot of things about the SGC's chief medical officer that he'd never have guessed, such as the delightful fact that she enjoyed fishing and camping. She also didn't mind sports, and Jack figured that he could turn her into a hockey fan with just a little effort.

The general got into his car and stuck the key in the ignition, but when he turned it, nothing happened; the car didn't start. Frowning, he tried again with the same results. Did he have a dead battery? His mood no longer quite so cheerful, Jack pulled the hood release and got out. As he lifted the hood, his jaw dropped.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed. "Oh, this is too much!"

Striding angrily back indoors, he went to the phone and called the police, staring out his kitchen window fiercely.

The moment the call connected, he barked into the receiver, "Yes, I'd like to report a . . . stolen. . . ."

Jack's voice faded into silence, his wandering gaze having fallen upon something in his backyard. Eyes widening, he gaped at the sight before him.

"Uhhhh . . . never mind," he said into the phone, then hung up.

Jack went out into his backyard, eyes remaining upon something he'd never in a million years have imagined he'd see. There, sitting nestled high up in one of the boughs of his oak tree, was the missing engine from his jeep. There could be only one explanation for this. Daniel had at last gotten his revenge.

"I am _so_ going to get you for this, Daniel!"

A moment later, General Jack O'Neill began to laugh. He laughed until his sides ached, until tears came to his eyes. Still laughing, he went back in the house, thinking that life couldn't get much better than it was right now. The Replicators and the Goa'uld were gone, two of his best friends would soon be marrying, the Asgard had been saved from extinction, and the Wraith would soon no longer be a problem. On top of all that, Jack had taken the first step in what he hoped would be a new life with a woman he'd fallen completely in love with. Yes, it was a glorious day indeed.

Jack grinned wickedly. "But your ass is still toast, Daniel."

THE END

Watch for the upcoming sequel "What You Do Not Know".

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Well, there it is, folks, the end of this story . . . at least until I get started on the sequel. Wow. It's almost hard to believe that it's all done.

For those of you who are interested, the total length of this series is over 700,000 words (over 598,000 for the Gen version). The Ship version is around 240,000 words longer than War and Peace, making it half again as long as that novel's approximately 460,000 words. On the world's longest novels list in Wikipedia (which includes multi-volume stories), the Ship version would rank No. 10 for novels written in the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets (Gen version would be No. 14). I do not know how complete that list is, and, of course, it does not include other fan fiction novels. There are likely other fanfic stories out there somewhere that are even longer than this series.

Thanks again to all my readers.

MaureenT


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